Young people discuss how vocational training at Juba's Multi-Service Training Center is enhancing their job prospects. — Photo Credit: Moses Awan/Eye Radio -August 28, 2024

In Juba, a growing number of young people are transforming their futures by turning challenges into opportunities through newly acquired vocational skills. Empowered by these skills, they are finding renewed hope and creating pathways to success.

In August 2024, the Juba Multi-Service Training Center, a key public vocational training facility, celebrated the graduation of approximately 700 trainees across various fields, with most of the graduates under the age of 35.

This effort, supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is meant to equip and empower young South Sudanese men and women with new skills to sustain their livelihoods.

Joseph Garang is one of those who graduated after undergoing an extensive four-month training in catering.

A week before his graduation, Garang secured a job as a cook in one of the leading hotels in Juba, where he earns about 300,000 pounds a month.

“I chose Hotel and Tourism to help myself and I can work anywhere, in hotels, organizations, government or have my own business,” said Garang.

“I now found a job with a hotel in Juba and I will receive 300,000 SSP in a month which is good,” he said.

Garang hopes to become a self-reliant young man, saying he is capable of becoming self-employed with the new skills acquired.

He is, however, encouraging young South Sudanese to enrol in vocational training, adding that it is a promising industry and can lead one to become a job creator.

“I was sent for attachment or Internship and after finishing I automatically got a Job. If I leave that job, I can still survive by selling water or snacks,” said Garang.

“I know how to cook everything and that will help me and my family. I encourage the youths of South Sudan to come and attend the training,” he said.

In March 2022, the government, with support from the Swedish government, launched an 11.9 million US dollar program to strengthen vocational education and training in South Sudan.

The four-year project, implemented by UNESCO, aimed to benefit 25,000 people, including 13,000 South Sudanese youth.

Gire Vicky, who just completed her welding course at MTC in Juba, initially thought welding was a difficult course and not meant for women.

After acquiring the skills, Gire now hopes to start her own business and provide for her family.

“I thought welding was something hard in the beginning but when I joined, I realized it was easy and ladies can do it,” said Gire.

“During my internship, they appreciated me and now I completed I am going to start up a business,” she said.

“I also want to encourage ladies to join any course men are doing there is nothing you cannot do. It will be hard in the beginning but as you exercise and continue practicing It becomes part of your life.”

Some South Sudanese communities believe that men and women have specific roles in society.

Others believe that men are typically supposed to be the main decision-makers while women are expected to handle mainly domestic work.

Emmanuel Garang, who finished his hairdressing training, is among the few young men who have taken the lead in addressing the misconceptions associated with working in the hairdressing industry.

He believes societal change will come through raising awareness among both the youth and the elderly people.

“It is very hard for people to accept seeing me in a female salon, they will complain and a lot of things will happen,” said Emmanuel.

“There is one way we can change this and that is by educating our youths and elders and letting them understand that by doing this job we are not changing our sex to females, we are remaining male,” he said.

“There are many challenges even sometimes my friends abuse me about this course am doing but I am strong enough to challenge them.”

The vocational training centres in South Sudan not only empower those who are physically fit but also persons with disabilities.

Celestina Abau, who graduated from catering in August this year, says she faced challenges in securing an internship opportunity.

According to her, it is difficult for persons with disabilities to find jobs due to their physical limitations.

She is, however, appealing to the public and those in leadership to empower and provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to work.

“When people with disability come searching for a job, give them that chance, we persons with disability work. People look at us like we are useless, there are many persons with disability with certificates but no jobs,” Celestina said.

“In the three months of internship, we persons with a disability did not find opportunities and that affected us. When we go to hotels people will say what if you fall and break the plates or injure yourself,” she said.

“Try that person if he can do it or not. When a person with a disability applies for a job try them and give them that opportunity.”

In February 2023, South Sudan signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is a major step towards ensuring the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Josephine Bakhita, a hairdressing trainee at MTC, called on the government to establish more vocational training centres across the country to equip youths with skills.

“Young people can be encouraged by opening more vocational schools not only MTC because the distance is far. It will be good if the government opens vocational schools in areas that are far away,” Josephine said.

In 2022, the Ministry of Higher Education announced that it had turned four public learning institutions into polytechnic institutes – higher learning schools offering vocational subjects.

The proposed Bentiu Polytechnic Institute in Unity State will offer courses in Petroleum and Gas while Western Equatoria Polytechnic Institute to provide courses in Food Security.

Torit Polytechnic Institute in Eastern Equatoria will offer courses in Mining and Engineering, and Bahr el Ghazal Polytechnic Institute will offer Health Sciences courses.

As of 2022, there were about 351 vocational training centres across the country, of which 13 are under the Ministry of General Education.

Some of these vocational training centres were also established by the then-regional government of Southern Sudan following the 1972 Addis Ababa agreement.

Faith-based and other non-governmental organizations have also established vocational training centres to enable energetic South Sudanese men and women to acquire technical skills.