Mwanza, October 31, 2022, St Augustine University of Tanzania and Empower Limited have announced an official partnership aligned to the Tanzania economic transformation agenda and investment in human development. The partnership is a continuation of Empower’s efforts to enhance synergy between Academic Institutions and the corporate world, through effective coordination and implementation of a 21st Century Skills Development Programme for youth across the country and particularly university students over the next 5 years called Generation Empower (GenEm).

Empower is a dynamic youth-led organization, that wholeheartedly believes in the power of young people in shaping our future when supported with the right opportunities. Empower believes young leaders can deliver impactful and transformative ideas that bring new ways of thinking and an energetic approach to problem-solving. For more than 13 years Empower has been standing as a link between youth and the corporate world in Tanzania. Driven by its passion to unite, excite and nurture people for collective growth Empower has implemented numerous engagement activities to upskill, change mindsets, and inspire a growth mindset amongst youth in Tanzania.

Generation Empower (GenEm) is a movement founded by Empower with a passion and drive to make an impact in young people’s lives. It was launched in September 2020 in partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam by the Chancellor and former President of the United Republic of Tanzania H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. The vision of the programme is to be an aggregator for youth in Tanzania by bringing together both public and private sector players with a shared vision to inspire youth for collective growth. The mission of the programme is to transform mindsets across the country and prepare young people for a competitive future and create a generation of problem solvers.

The Generation Empower movement directly addresses the challenges faced by thousands of unemployed Tanzanian graduates by providing an opportunity to increase their employability & boost entrepreneurial skills, whilst simultaneously providing companies the opportunity to engage, influence, and hire ‘work-ready’ youth who are going to be impactful future leaders.

GenEm is being facilitated by Empower’s Youth Department in collaboration with the university. While Empower is the main sponsor of the programme so far, the programme is also being supported by contributions made by different corporate partners. Generation Empower cohort 3 partners include Zululands Engineering Works, Yellow Card, Green Resources, and Kilombero Valley Teak Company. Their contribution has enabled the programme to expand and have a wider reach.

The programme had its first cohort in 2020 with 250 students from the University of Dar es Salaam who successfully went through a year of training to acquire 21st Century Skills and industry exposure through engagement with different programme stakeholders. The following cohort took 500 students and together for two years the programme has a total of 750 GenEm alumni and engaged 5000+ youth through different engagement activities. Throughout the programme students are supported with finding the right jobs as well as entrepreneurship support such as access to funding opportunities, mentorship, and coaching.

Through this partnership with St. Augustine University of Tanzania, we will be hosting the third cohort and target to have 2000+ students across the university and 500+ final-year students from varying disciplines; allowing for a diverse and inclusive strategy for sustainable skills development. GenEm Cohort 3 is a result of efforts to scale up Generation Empower to maximize the impact and widen the reach of the programme. It is going to be a hybrid nationwide mindset transformation programme that will bring together youth from different universities across the country to learn and engage with each other and industry experts from the corporate world.

Empower’s approach to learning and development is participatory and practical in nature – GenEm participants will take part in interactive workshops, tutorials, and fireside chats with industry leaders, culminating in a final group project.

SAUT and Empower call upon youth across the country and particularly at the university to join the programme. We also welcome participation in GenEm from all stakeholders including the private sector, policymakers, and donor partners to catalyse efforts toward providing skills development through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. This is the first programme launched in Tanzania with this unique approach; aligning the educational content of The University to industry requirements through customized modules developed and facilitated by Empower and validated by the University.

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Empower is a vibrant, Tanzanian Human Capital Consulting Firm that exists to unite, excite, and nurture people for collective growth. With a global reach and local presence, Empower is the market-leader for recruitment & outsourced services, learning & development, employee engagement, strategic insight and youth impact projects. Our brand is our voice, and our values are our heart. Since 2009, Empower has stayed true to our values. That is the secret to our team success and how we make incredible things happen. Contact youth@empower.co.tz www.empower.co.tz Talent | Advisory | Insight | Youth | Brand.

St. Augustine University of Tanzania is a private university in Mwanza, Tanzania. It was founded by the Catholic Bishops of Tanzania in 1998 as a secular, nonprofit, private institution. Before 1998, SAUT was called first Nyegezi Social Training Centre and then Nyegezi Social Training Institute. https://www.saut.ac.tz/