Twenty-four secondary school students from across Uganda spent a day shadowing senior leaders at Absa Bank Uganda as part of a mentorship initiative aimed at exposing young people to leadership, decision-making and the world of work.
The students, drawn from Junior Achievement Uganda’s Company of the Year programme, were paired with members of Absa Bank Uganda’s executive leadership team for a job-shadowing experience that provided firsthand insight into how one of Uganda’s leading financial institutions operates. The engagement forms part of a broader partnership between Absa Uganda and Junior Achievement Uganda aimed at preparing young people for success through entrepreneurship, employability and leadership development.
The initiative, led by the Absa Men of Valour, was organised as part of activities marking Father’s Month and seeks to provide young men with practical exposure to leadership, mentorship and workplace experiences that can help shape their future aspirations.
According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, nearly three-quarters of Uganda’s population is below the age of 30, highlighting the importance of investing in programmes that equip young people with the skills, confidence and exposure needed to succeed in the future world of work. The census also found that 42.6% of young people aged 15 to 24 are not in employment, education or training.
The mentorship programme aligns with Absa Uganda’s Corporate Citizenship Strategy of Financial Inclusion through Entrepreneurship, which focuses on Financial Literacy, Education, Employability and Entrepreneurship. Through these initiatives, the bank seeks to help prepare young people for the future by providing practical learning experiences, leadership exposure and opportunities to develop workplace-ready skills.
Speaking during the engagement, Michael Segwaya, Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer at Absa Bank Uganda, said preparing young people for the future requires more than academic achievement.
“At Absa, we believe preparing young people for the future requires more than academic achievement. It requires exposure, mentorship and opportunities to learn from those already leading in their fields. Through these initiatives, we are investing in the future skills pipeline by helping young people understand how decisions are made, how teams work together and what leadership looks like in practice. We hope this experience inspires them to become the innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who will help shape Uganda’s future.”
Rather than simply touring the bank, the students were embedded within different business functions where they observed leadership in action, attended meetings, interacted with executives and gained firsthand insight into how decisions are made in a corporate environment.
Malcom Senyonjo, a student at King’s College Budo who participated in the programme, said the experience gave him a practical perspective on leadership and business. “I have always been curious about what senior leaders actually do beyond the titles. Being able to spend the day with an executive and ask questions directly helped me understand how decisions are made and what leadership looks like in practice. As someone who hopes to start a business one day, the experience was both inspiring and practical.”
Henry Tumusiime, Human Capital Director at Absa Bank Uganda, reinforced the bank’s commitment to shaping the next generation as he highlighted the collective responsibility that institutions, parents and educators share in preparing young people for the future;
“The broader perspective is that we are all stakeholders in education, and thus we cannot allow institutions of learning to do this job alone. Today’s exposure aims to give these young men a better appreciation of the journey, with the confidence and comfort that comes from seeing where the education marathon they are running can lead them.”
The Company of the Year programme, implemented by Junior Achievement Uganda, equips secondary school students with entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership and workplace readiness skills through practical business experiences. The partnership between Absa Uganda and Junior Achievement Uganda is designed to help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the world of work by providing young people with access to mentorship, industry exposure and opportunities to develop future-ready skills.
The 2026 Company of the Year competition is now open to secondary schools across Uganda and is expected to reach more than 200,000 young people while attracting participation from at least 55 schools. The programme will culminate in a national exhibition and finals scheduled for September 2026, where students will showcase business ideas and compete for the opportunity to represent Uganda at regional and international levels.