AUSC delegates in the 2nd East African Manufacturing Business Summit and Exhibition to share the AUSC International Action Plan 2016-2019

The 2nd high-level Manufacturing Business Summit and Exhibition themed “Harnessing the Manufacturing Potential for Sustainable Economic Growth” in the East African Community (EAC) scheduled as a three day event, started on this 23rd  and will end on 25th May 2017 at Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. This high-level conference is co-organized with the East African Community (EAC) with very strong support from the Rwandan Government. The event is co-hosted by the East African Business Council (EABC) and the East African Manufacturing Associations i.e. the Rwanda Association of Manufacturers (RAM), Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI), Burundi Manufacturers Association (AIB), and Kenya Manufacturers Association (KAM).

Over 300 top executives in the manufacturing and agri-business sectors, high-ranking policy and decision makers, as well as leading financial institutions from Africa and beyond  are one of the participants, according to the EAC Secretariat. 

The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame was  expected to grace the official opening ceremony of the Summit, but came the Prime minister Anasthase Murekezi representing him.

The AUSC Members have been invited to attend this summit. The AUSC President's Office selected 9 special Delegates who were accredited to attend for this first day of the summit and will keep participating in different sessions of this summit.

The 2nd East African Manufacturing Business Summit and Exhibition is offering exhibitions where investors, enterprises, researchers and academia can collectively showcase new products and services as well as latest innovations in manufacturing, particularly those with relevance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 

The 2nd high-level Manufacturing Business Summit and Exhibition is the follow up of the 1st Manufacturing Business Summit and Exhibition which took place at the Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo in Kampala, Uganda  in 2015.

The biannual East African Manufacturing and Business Summit is being organized against a backdrop of economic resurgence and high political commitment to pursue development driven by industrialization. The forum therefore stands to offer an important platform for governments in the region to engage the private sector on critical steps needed to leverage higher levels of investment in manufacturing.

The expected outcome is significant impact on broader socio economic development objectives such as employment creation, technology transfer and wealth creation.   The forum seeks to create an avenue for the private sector to advocate and campaign for the acceleration of industrial reforms aimed at improvement of investment conditions in the EAC strategic sectors.

The EAC region has already identified strategic areas for industrial development in the region that bear comparative advantages and where significant private sector investment is needed to unlock potentials. These strategic sectors include: agro-processing and agri-business; mineral processing; pharmaceuticals; construction materials; fertilizers & agro-chemicals as well as the strengthened leather & textiles and automotive sector.

Keep following the activities of this summit online via AUSC Facebook, Twitter and Website.
You can use the hash tag #2EAMBS to follow this summit.

Call for applications to the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Forum (YEES-Forum).

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Forum (YEES-Forum)| 2016

Theme: ‘Enhancing partnerships for 21st Century Skills: youth as job creators, not job seekers.’

The African Union Commission in collaboration with ECOWAS, the National Agency for the Promotion of Youth Employment in Senegal and YALI are pleased to announce a call for applications to the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Forum (YEES-Forum). The forum aims at bringing young African entrepreneurs to learn, network, share experiences and good practices, motivate each other and showcase their businesses and thereby be an inspiration to one another. The YEES forum is scheduled to be held from the 5th of October to the 7th of October in Dakar Senegal. This forum targets the Francophone Countries and follows the inaugural forum that was held in Kenya in 2014 targeting Anglophone Countries. 

The YEES forum is driven by the realisation that interventions focused on linkages will improve the value chain by enabling the flow of critical services through embedded arrangements. In addition to peer to peer linkages, these interventions shall also focus on linking regional competitive youth entrepreneurs to industry champions thus addressing some of the challenges faced by young people, particularly women in business and providing a platform for peer learning. 

The forum aims to attract entrepreneurs with scalable businesses who are currently employers of labour and are interested in working towards a better Africa.

Participants at the forum will benefit from:

• Improved business development skills through practical workshops;
• Collaborative learning and sharing of experiences to increase success rates for
  business start-ups among young entrepreneurs;
• Opportunity to identify successful business men or women to act as Mentors
  for young entrepreneurs;
• Opportunities to engage with young entrepreneurs in dynamic sectors of the emerging intra-Africa trade including extractives and agri-business.

The program will include:

• Training: Training sessions on core business development including building
  a sustainable financial structure and personal development. The sessions will
  also introduce participants to various mentoring techniques as well as new tools for effective mentoring.
• Exhibition: This exhibition will give opportunity to young entrepreneurs to
  showcase their products and explore new market opportunities. Business
  development service providers will also be invited to proffer advice to the young entrepreneurs.
• Field Visits: Participants visit a successful enterprise owned by young
  entrepreneurs in the host country. This is expected to inspire the participants
  and serve as successful models for their own enterprise development and
  management.
• Experience Sharing: Key business organizations and leaders will be identified
  to facilitate the forum. The regional entrepreneurship development platform to
  be established shall provide back stopping for experience sharing, mentoring
  and business development services

Date and Venue: The YEES Forum will take place from 5th to 7th of October 2016 in Dakar Senegal.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Open to Citizens of African Francophone Countries;
• African youth between the ages of 15 and 35. Women are strongly encouraged
  to apply;
• Must be able to speak and work in at least one AU working language (English,
  French, Arabic or Portuguese).

Participation Cost: Young entrepreneurs can sponsor themselves to this workshop and there is also a limited number of scholarships available to entrepreneurs. Please indicate if you will be interested in sponsorship while applying.

Interested participants are therefore requested to express their interest in
participating in this forum by applying via the following link:
http://bit.ly/fodej2016 on the 12 September 2016 by 11:59pm (EAT).

We are looking forward to your application!