Potentials Of Smes For Youth Employment, The Case Of Fish Processing Industry In Mwanza City, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

The decision to investigate on the potentials of SMEs for youth employment in

Mwanza, emanated from the increasingly unemployment problem to youth in the

country. The existence of SMEs sought to reduce unemployment problem. However

in Mwanza city and to most big towns there is massive unemployed youth with the

presence of SMEs. Therefore, the study aims to examine potentials of SMEs in youth

employment, highlights challenges hindering the sector from providing youth with

employment and determine ways to improve the effectiveness of the sector in

providing employment to youth in Mwanza city and Tanzania in general. Both

primary and secondary data were employed while analysis was done quantitatively

and qualitatively. Purposive and simple random sampling methods were adopted in

searching primary data. In the secondary data speculations, some documents were

reviewed from books to the websites.

The uncovered potentials of SMEs were job creation, innovations encouragement,

technological base, business expansion platforms and a catalyst for development.

Numerous setbacks counter attacking the industry are power shortages, over taxation

and tributes, lack of support, shortages of raw- materials, disunity, insecurity,

disorganization amongst the industry workers, low price, wages and salaries to the

employees, lack of inclusive and vivid conservational measures governing the

industry. If all these handled with care, the SME sector will turn to be a place to trust

for employment especially to unemployed youth.

The study suggested improvements in financial, education, technologically and in

social skills.