System Approach on Strengthening Agribusiness Vocational Education and Training Uganda has one of the fastest-growing and youngest populations in the world, whereby projections by world population review (2023) expect Uganda’s population to increase from 48,6 million in 2023 to over 100 million people by 2050. The population growth exacerbates the already existing challenges to ensure food security, reduce the overuse of natural resources, provide basic services and stimulate economic growth and create decent work opportunities. Despite the steady economic growth in the past years, Uganda continues to rank amongst the least developed countries in the world (Worldbank, 2023). 
Uganda experiences a high rate of urbanisation, currently at 5.7%, whereby mainly youths move to urban areas in search of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. Every year about 400,000 young Ugandans enter the labour market, who compete for about 52,000 available formal jobs (Makumbi-Oola, 2020). Due to the limited number of formal jobs, entrepreneurship has become a good alternative to make a decent living for many youths entering the labour market. According to the Uganda National Development Plan III (NDPIII) agriculture is one of the key sectors with the potential to absorb a large number of youths due to the surge in private sector investment and also the potential to create self-employment.
 However, the low productivity and related income in the agricultural sector, pressure on food security, hardworking and basic living conditions, limited access to finance, climate variability and marketing risks make the future for youth in the rural areas very unappealing. Nevertheless, most youth in Sub-Saharan Africa live in rural areas, either by fate or choice. Notwithstanding the large rural-urban migration of youth, the absolute number of youths in rural areas is higher than ever. The government is actively stimulating rural residents through various incentives to stop moving to towns and cities but invest in their areas (Olukya, 2021). The Parish development Model conceived under the third Development Plan (NDP III) is a good example of this, as it aces the parish at the epicentre of multi-sectoral community development (MoLG, 2023). 
Besides population growth and urbanization trends, the influx of 1.4 million refugees who fled from neighbouring countries due to political instability is also creating additional pressure on already overstretched (public) services (ReliefWeb, 2023). Research by the Uganda Country Refugee Response identifies that less than 50% of funding is available to cover the needs of refugee communities (ReliefWeb, 2023). The West Nile region in Northern Uganda is the largest refugee hosting district, hosting over 700.000 refugees (Afard, n.d.). 
The region borders South-Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with Arua city being a thriving hub for cross border trade. The refugee influx puts additional pressure on the available resources, as it is already the second poorest region in Uganda (Afard, n.d.). The economy is dominated by subsistence farming, with a trend towards more market-oriented farming due to the increasing food demand caused by urbanisation and a shift of focus by humanitarian organizations including NGOs from humanitarian aid (food aid) to development (food assistance and reliance). 1. Institutionalisation of innovative skills training in curricula allows four VETs to better 
meet the skills need for wage employment and self-employment.
2. Inclusive and practical learning methodologies improve quality, effectiveness, and 
attractiveness of four VET centres in West Nile.
3. VET graduates are linked to an enabling environment.
4. The four VETs are well connected with local economy stakeholders Project targets to work with rural youth, women, refugees through Vocation Education Training Institution in West Nile