MTN ACE Economic Empowerment Program – Uganda

They program is designed for fresh graduates, those in and out of school, innovators, entrepreneurs well as tech-driven start-ups.

The programs constitute;

• Ace Skilling which is tailor-made for the youths who are in or out of school to equip them with entrepreneurial skills.
• Ace Career which seeks to empower fresh graduates with workplace skills and internship placement.
• Ace Tech which focuses on upskilling the youth interested in tech-related innovations.

The MTN ACE initiative is an invention of the MTN Uganda Foundation, executed in partnership with; the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance, The National ICT Innovation Hub, Centenary Technology Services, Refactory, MUBS Entrepreneurship Innovation, and Incubation Centre, as well as MTN’s Fintech subsidiary, MTN MoMo Uganda Limited.

• Ace skilling
  • The MTN Foundation has launched a youth skilling program aimed at equipping the youth with the right practical knowledge and skills that will enable them to provide innovative ICT solutions to solve community problems amidst the evolving digital world.
  • The program will focus on skills that will drive co-creation of innovative digital products and solutions to solve Uganda’s biggest problems in Education, Youth Empowerment, Health and Agriculture. It will be implemented in partnership with Ubunifu systems, a software development and ICT innovation firm.
  • How will the program work?
    • A call for application will be put out via MTN digital channels and100 successful applicants will be selected to join the program for each cycle.
    • The chosen 100 will be paid for to study and acquire the International Computer Driver’s License (ICDL) certificate and only those that will have successfully acquired this certificate will proceed to the next level.
    • The next level will bring the successful candidates together into a 10-week session that will provide hands on training in technical and business skills that will support them identify and define community challenges in the areas of Education, Agriculture, Health and Youth Empowerment.
    • The most successful ideas/ solutions to the identified problems will be escalated to the MTN Incubation program where they will receive mentorship and support to deliver a public good ICT solution designed for their community.
• Ace Career
  • The initiative provides a three-month soft skills training and internship placement for fresh graduates. Graduates will be placed at MTN Uganda to do internship for a period of three months. The training and coaching implementing partner is Makerere University Business School Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre (MUBS-EIIC).
  • Priority Categories
    • Priority is given to the following categories of applicants:
      • Graduates with First Class and Upper Second Degrees/diplomas
      • Graduates of STEM-related courses
      • Female graduates
      • Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)
      • Graduates from disadvantaged family backgrounds and or residents in remote and rural communities of Uganda with limited employment opportunities
  • Eligibility criteria
    • Individuals applying to the program must be:
      • Citizen of Uganda
      • Currently residing in Uganda
      • Degree/diploma holder from a recognized University by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Uganda.
      • The Applicant MUST have graduated in the last three academic years of 2019/2020, 2020/2021, and 2022/2022.
      • Youth aged between 18 and 29 years by the time of application
      • Must be proficient in English
      • Must not be in formal employment at the time of making the application
      • Able and willing to participate in the internship placement at MTN Uganda or any of the partner organizations for a period of three months
      • Able and willing to participate in a three (3) days per month for three (3) months of in-person soft skills training sessions at selected locations within Uganda.
• Ace tech
  • MTN Foundation in partnership with the National ICT innovation hub implement the MTN Innovation Program through Centenary Technology Services. The partnership focuses on business development and advisory service, capacity building and incubation of innovations.
  • The hub creates an environment for ICT innovators facing challenges with workspace, limited internet connectivity and searching for creative spaces that spur thinking. MTN Foundation equip the space and facilitates training, coaching and mentorship for startups. The program targets Ugandans with an innovative idea solving real life problems across all sectors, with specific key priority areas of Uganda’s Vision2040 – National Development Priorities i.e., Agriculture, Tourism & Trade, Minerals & Energy, Health, Education, Refugee/Host Communities and the Justice, Law and Order sector.
  • Eligibility
    • All applicants must possess the following:
      • A digital innovator looking to upskill with programming and entrepreneurship skills
      • Any individual who has built or attempted to build a digital product and are looking to upskill
      • An individual that has been a part of team that has built or attempted to build a digital product and are looking to upskill
      • Must be able to commit to the program attendance of at least 80%.
      • Should be 18 years and above
      • Must have access to a laptop and internet.

For more information, visit MTN Uganda.