The Kingdom of Eswatini has launched an ambitious National Human Resource Development Policy aimed at tackling the country’s persistent youth unemployment, underemployment, and growing skills gap.
The policy was formally unveiled on Friday, 8 August 2025, in Mbabane by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi.
Minister Buthelezi described the initiative as a “coordinated national framework” designed to produce a skilled, adaptable, and productive workforce capable of driving the nation’s long-term development agenda.
He emphasised that addressing the employment challenge would require collaboration across multiple sectors — well beyond the Ministry of Labour itself.
“This is not a ministry-only effort,” he said, urging other government departments, including Education and Training, Economic Planning and Development, Commerce, Industry and Trade, and Information Communication and Technology, to play an active role in the policy’s rollout.
A central component of the strategy is closer cooperation with the private sector.
Minister Buthelezi called on businesses to help shape training programmes that reflect labour market needs, as well as to offer internships, apprenticeships, and other pathways into work.
Young people, he stressed, are at the heart of the policy.
It aims not only to open doors to formal employment but also to encourage entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic self-reliance.
To ensure effective coordination and accountability, the Ministry will establish a multi-sectoral National Human Resource Development Council (NHRDC).
The council will oversee progress, foster dialogue between stakeholders, and ensure that initiatives remain aligned with the policy’s objectives.
Minister Buthelezi expressed confidence that the policy, supported by government, business, education, and civil society, could help reverse current employment trends.
“If we work together,” he said, “we can equip our people with the skills they need to transform our economy and their own futures.”
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