Deliverables

Apprenticeship Retention Report 

Primary reasons for students leaving the program before graduation. This area outlines the main causes and barriers to program completion through multiple lenses.

Deep dive into best practices from other similar organizations with student populations. This section provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of similar programs with comparable student populations. By understanding other successful programs, Nurture Africa will have more options for program improvement to select from for years to come.

Recommendations for usage of results to improve the retention of second-year apprentices. This section recommends feasible and effective measures for Nurture Africa to implement moving forward.

Mission

Economically empowering vulnerable youth through a holistic family-centered model.

Challenge

Nurture Africa needs to determine why students are leaving the program before graduation to scale and grow their vocational training-based social enterprises.

Research Activities

We researched challenges and deterrents to retention that students frequently face. First, we conducted virtual interviews with over 20 students at Nurture Africa to gain a better understanding of the challenges that students face. We met with students with varied backgrounds, different specialities, and varying years of school. Next, we connected with a field researcher who conducted face-to-face interviews at Nurture Africa in Nansana, Uganda which assisted in the formation of our survey. We utilized both the virtual and face-to-face interview findings to create a paper survey administered to 100 Nurture Africa students of various years and experiences. We then conducted more focused interviews with an additional 20 students to help give our findings a specific context. Additional research was conducted through completion of a thorough literature review and consultations with experts in the field.

Key Findings

1. Students are not motivated to complete the program through graduation because they are not engaged with the vocational training program or Nurture Africa as a whole. Participants in the vocational training program lack a strong tie to the organization, which is causing them to lose their desire to participate.
2. The logistical elements of attending school at Nurture Africa including transportation, timeliness, and adhering to the honor code have presented challenges for students. Due to the vulnerable backgrounds of the student population, participants are not used to a normal traditional school setting. Despite many students’ desire to complete the program, it can be difficult for some to adjust to Nurture Africa’s structured environment.
3. Students would benefit from additional support to persist through both personal and professional challenges before they can focus on the future. Incorporation of emotional and mental wellness will inspire hope for their futures and improve the wellbeing of program participants.

2022

Social Enterprise:
Nurture Africa

Fellows:

Sydney Kaplan
Political Science

Grace Leete
Sociology & Child Studies