.VINCENT

By MILDRED  KATONGO –

CHILILABOMBWE will for the first time have a youth resource centre where young people will acquire various life skills.
This centre will ensure that a lot of the young people in the district have something worthwhile to do.
The first phase of the construction works, that cost K10.5 million, has been completed.
The works saw the construction of workshops, classroom blocks and ablution blocks.
A contractor has been engaged to work on the second phase which will see the construction of hostels and an administration block.
Young people from all walks of life will be given an opportunity to acquire skills from this centre.
Skills such as carpentry, metal fabrication, bricklaying, and entrepreneurship, among others, will be offered to young people who will be enrolled at the centre once the construction works complete.
Youth and Sport Minister Vincent Mwale toured the site and was impressed with the work done so far.
Mr Mwale said the centre would give an opportunity to young people to acquire skills that would see them get employment in various industries.
He said Government did not want to see any youths languish in the streets when they are a huge resource that could contribute to national development.
“It is Government’s mandate to ensure that young people are empowered and one way of empowering them is to equip them with life-saving skills,” he said.
Mr Mwale said it was embarrassing that many contractors doing construction works were foreigners despite Zambia having a lot of young people able to do the work.
He said young people in Chililabombwe should take advantage of the situation and acquire the skills once the centre was fully completed, become top graduates and do quality works to avoid Government contracting foreigners.
Chililabombwe District Commissioner Stuart Chitumbo said the centre would help keep young people from engaging in illicit activities because they would be busy acquiring the skills.
Mr Chitumbo said the district had been dormant in terms of economic activities and that the youth centre would help young people contribute to national development.