African Rivers, a nonprofit international organization, has welcomed the 2,000 youth internship programme launched by the Republican President, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, noting that it will greatly benefit students and young people entering the labour market, said Dr. Kelvin Kamayoyo, Technical Advisor.
“The youth internship programme should be purposive and targeted, enhancing recruitment of interns in areas promoting climate adaptation and community resilience efforts,” he added.
Particularly, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of Lands, alongside ZESCO, NAPSA, Mining Companies, Solar Energy Companies, Commercial Banks, ZAFFICO, and Universities or Colleges, could partner to set up a “Student Energy Green Jobs Project”. This project would support the youth in accessing green opportunities within the broader framework of Zambia’s Youth Internship Programme.
Notably, the Student Energy Green Jobs initiative is not new globally; countries like Canada have successfully implemented similar projects. For instance, in Canada, youth interns hired under the Green Jobs Program are entitled to earn an income of up to $1,000 in funds to address employment barriers and unlock new training opportunities, increasing youth employability. The programme provides employers with wage subsidies and youth with training and wraparound service funds, promoting engagement and creating jobs in the clean energy sector.
Other countries have also implemented impactful youth internship programmes, such as Costa Rica’s sustainable tourism internship programme, which offers students and young professionals hands-on work experience supporting community-driven tourism initiatives and learning about eco-tourism practices.
However, attention often focuses more on selection criteria for eligible youths rather than stakeholder mapping of relevant potential employers. This can be attributed to the gravity of need and population size estimated at 1.8 billion young people globally.
In Zambia, the youth internship programme will have a significant impact if green job opportunities are harnessed for sustainability and scalability. A green job is a role aiming to protect the environment or programme delivering positive environmental outcomes. This initiative is about creating job opportunities and building climate stewards, securing a cleaner environment.
Undoubtedly, integrating green jobs into the internship programme guarantees coverage of specialized areas such as environmental engineers, climate scientists, climate finance specialists, ecologists, solar technicians, wind turbine technicians, EV charging specialists, and conservation workers.
The pivotal role of green jobs in steering the country’s energy transition has become increasingly apparent. In recognizing the urgency of engaging the next generation of leaders, the government has timely intervened by introducing the 2,000 countrywide youth internship programme.
Going forward, the programme requires adequate and consistent multi-sectoral support from stakeholders, particularly the private sector and philanthropists, to fund organizational salaries and reduce burnout common among organizations admitting youths as interns.
The private sector and philanthropy must work to dismantle barriers excluding youth empowerment and growth. It is not uncommon that the youth often find the employment space exclusionary, difficult to navigate, and characterized by elite circles they are not part of.
Therefore, stakeholders must prioritize supporting youth efforts across ages, geographies, and backgrounds, while avoiding tokenistic efforts. Additionally, there is a need to increase the target number from the current 2,000 to around 5,000 youths by exploiting opportunities associated with the country’s youth internship programme, diversifying the scope by exposing youths to international internship opportunities, such as those offered by World Bank, United Nations, COMESA, SADC, African Union, Goldman Sachs and the Japan Internship Programme.
For comments, contact the researcher at kamayoyokm@gmail.com.
