Vocational graduates could help create new jobs in Namibia by turning their technical skills into businesses, with 32 graduates set to receive entrepreneurship support under an expanded Capricorn Foundation programme.
The Foundation says vocational training provides graduates with skills that can be used to establish enterprises and generate employment, but a lack of business knowledge and mentorship can limit their ability to commercialise those skills.
Capricorn Foundation Head Veripura Muukua said the vocational sector has the potential to contribute to Namibia’s economic growth while helping address unemployment through entrepreneurship.
“We believe the vocational sector is essential for Namibia’s economic growth, addressing unemployment and advancing entrepreneurship,” Muukua said.
The Foundation is expanding its “Be Your Own Boss” Vocational Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme, implemented in partnership with Unmatched Potential, from Swakopmund to Otjiwarongo and Outapi.
The second phase will provide three months of entrepreneurship coaching, mentorship and practical business development support to 32 new vocational graduates.
Muukua said the decision to expand the programme follows a pilot involving 18 graduates in Swakopmund, which highlighted the potential for technically trained young people to create sustainable livelihoods.
“The success of the pilot programme, which was launched in Swakopmund in May 2026, demonstrated to us the potential that exists within Namibia’s vocational graduates,” she said.
“It provided us with an opportunity to see that young people possess valuable technical skills but require support to transform those skills into sustainable businesses and livelihoods.”
Under the expanded programme, 10 graduates will be selected from Swakopmund, 10 from Otjiwarongo and 12 from Outapi. Five participants from the initial cohort will also continue receiving support.
Unmatched Potential founder Etienne Raymond said the pilot showed that entrepreneurship could provide vocational graduates with an alternative to relying solely on formal employment.
“We have seen participants shift their thinking from seeking employment to creating opportunities for themselves and others,” Raymond said.
He said the programme aims to help graduates use their vocational expertise to identify market opportunities, establish businesses and potentially create jobs within their communities.
Applications are open to TVET Level 3 and Level 4 graduates from accredited institutions who are unemployed, self-employed or seeking to start or grow businesses,with the three-month programme scheduled to begin in September and delivered in person in Swakopmund, Otjiwarongo and Outapi.
