This does not only happen in Rwanda. Many young professionals from technical careers as welders, plumbers, and electricians—face a major challenge after completing their training: they possess valuable skills but remain invisible to potential employers and clients. The Rwandan colleagues from BIWE decided to address this issue in a pilot project.
And demonstrated impressively how targeted visibility can sustainably improve professional prospects. With a budget of just around €1,000 they equipped 32 young professionals with overalls printed with their trade and contact details.
After 3 months the team interviewed 18 of the technicians:
- 17 of 18 (94 %) are wearing the overall at least on a regular basis
- 16 of 18 (89 %) were contacted by clients or employers after wearing the overalls
- 10 of 18 (56 %) reported major improvements in income and opportunities and another 5 (28%) experienced moderate gains
One participant shared: “This overall made me a professional. Because of it, many people gave me jobs and now I feel proud of my career.”
Others highlighted the importance of being visible to the community and the added benefit of having protective clothing for technical work. 17 of 18 (94 %) respondents recommended us to continue and expand the initiative.
Our project was supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ GmbH.
