Thousands of young Rwandans are set to hone their business skills in the hospitality and tourism sector.

Workplace learning organisation African Management Initiative (AMI) is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation on a US$4.5 million programme to support about 7 000 young Rwandans in building their skills and businesses in the sector. AMI is joining Mastercard’s Hanga Ahazaza – a US$50 million initiative focused on increasing employment opportunities for young people while expanding the tourism industry in Rwanda.

AMI will be contributing to Hanga Ahazaza through two programmes over a five-year period. The Inspiring Managers programme will support 3 800 supervisors and aspiring supervisors in the sector to develop their management skills. The Grow Your Business programme will help 3 120 entrepreneurs build their small and micro businesses.

‘Skills development is critical for Rwanda’s economic development,’ says AMI’s co-founder and CEO, Rebecca Harrison. ‘We know that practical and scalable solutions like this can transform businesses and create real opportunity for young people.’

The programmes run for four to six months and combine a series of interactive in-person workshops with online tools and courses to help participants apply what they are learning directly to their jobs and businesses. The focus is on helping employees improve their performance at work and entrepreneurs to increase their revenue and profits.

21 May 2019
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