•  By Staff Reporter

At least 40 successful candidates who have applied for business training under the MTC 4 Life program, have commenced the hands-on three-weeks long training. 

The training covers trades such as upholstery, hairdressing styling, barbering, carpentry, welding, electricity and solar, and brick manufacturing and is being conducted in Ondangwa, Katima Mulilo, Swakopmund, and Windhoek.
Twenty-eight year-old Gervasius Isaak from Omitara in Omaheke region, a trainee in brick manufacturing expressed gratitude towards the program while urging fellow young people  to take up opportunities to gain necessary knowledge and upskill themselves. 

“Being part of the MTC 4 Life program has truly transformed the way I see myself and my future. I feel empowered, not just with knowledge and skills, but with a sense of purpose and direction. Through the program, I am discovering my potential and it is molding me to become more self-reliant, confident, and hopeful,” Isaak said. 
Isaak indicated that through mentorship, training, and support, he has learned to face challenges with a positive mindset and turn obstacles into opportunities.

 “I now feel that I have a voice, a vision, and the ability to make meaningful contributions to my community. MTC 4 Life has not only impacted my life, but it has also helped me to believe in my ability to impact the world around me,” he said.
The yearly program focuses on empowering unemployed youth and has become one of MTC’s Corporate Social Investment initiative that caught the interest of many. 

This year, at least over 250 applications were received from four regions, Zambezi, Erongo, Hardap, and Omaheke.  According to MTC, the initiative is continuing to transfer essential business and practical skills to the trainees, equipping them to establish and or grow their small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 

MTC’s Corporate Communications Practitioner, Erasmus Nekundi explained that after almost five months since the call for application, the company is pleased that training has started with the 40 successful trainees. 
Nekundi added that capital investment in the program since its inception, stands at N$3.5 million and that after the current intake, with a sum of Namibian youth trained and benefited will be 131.