Sasol, the Instituto de Formação Profissional e Estudos Laborais Alberto Cassimo (IFPELAC) and Field Ready Mozambique held the first graduation ceremony of their Youth Employability Programme on Thursday, 8 October, in Inhassoro, awarding certificates to 281 young people — including 127 women — drawn predominantly from the districts of Govuro, Inhassoro and Vilankulo.
Participants completed training designed to build personal and professional competencies, covering health, safety and environment, vocational guidance, and job interview preparation. The programme aims to strengthen participants' readiness to enter the labour market and to take advantage of training and employment opportunities.
The ceremony took place at the Inhassoro Vocational Training Centre (CFPI) and marked the close of the 2026 edition of the programme, following training sessions conducted across the three districts.
Arcenio Nhabangue, Sasol Mozambique's social investment and community relations manager, said skills development is a core element of the company's engagement with local communities.
"We want to contribute to ensuring that young people have the skills to face the challenges of the labour market with greater preparation. This partnership allows us to create concrete development opportunities and strengthen the link between training and market needs," Nhabangue said.
Celso Sitoi, representative of Field Ready Mozambique, emphasised the importance of equipping young people beyond technical skills, with particular attention to the tools needed for job searching and professional integration.
"More than completing a training course, we want young people to leave here with greater confidence, knowledge of the labour market and the ability to identify and seize opportunities as they arise," Sitoi said.
Fernando Doda Muzobingua, district administrator of Inhassoro, said initiatives of this nature can help broaden the prospects of young people and bring them closer to existing opportunities.
"It is important that we continue to create conditions for our young people to develop skills and be prepared to respond to the opportunities that arise. Training is one of the foundations on which they can build their own professional path," Muzobingua said.
Among the newly certified graduates, Minércia de Amália highlighted the experience gained during the programme and the importance of the skills developed for her professional readiness.
"We learned things we can apply in our daily lives and that will be important when we look for work. The training also helped us to better understand how to prepare for an interview and how to present our abilities," the graduate said.
The initiative builds on the ongoing partnership between Sasol, IFPELAC and Field Ready, focused on skills development and the promotion of employability among young people in the covered communities.
The Sasol and Field Ready partnership was established in 2018. Between 2019 and 2024, 75 young people benefited from scholarships for intensive employability programmes, of whom 40 came from the districts of Inhassoro and Govuro. Several participants subsequently gained access to internships and employment opportunities.
The new phase of the partnership, currently under implementation through a financing agreement concluded between Sasol and IFPELAC, with Field Ready Mozambique as the implementing partner, plans to reach approximately 900 young people in the districts of Govuro, Inhassoro and Vilankulo between 2026 and 2028, with a focus on skills development and labour market preparation.
The programme forms part of broader efforts to promote youth employability and create professional development opportunities in the districts covered by the partnership.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=551232
