Vocational students urge gov't on start-up capital

Students at the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute have urged government to set up an entrepreneurship fund in efforts to solve Uganda's youth unemployment challenge. It is estimated that up to 400,000 students graduate from university annually, with only 100,000 accessing formal jobs.
 
Due to the damning statistics, Ugandans have been urged to join vocational training institutes to acquire practical skills.  The numbers now show that joining vocational institutes is not a magic bullet to solving unemployment.
 
About 40,000 students graduate from vocational training institutions annually into the crowded job market, however, just like their university colleagues, only a handful hook formal jobs.
 
Speaking on behalf of students at the first wood work exhibition at the Nakawa Vocational Institute, Jimmy Abonga a final year student of Carpentry and Joinery, urged government, through the youth livelihood program under the ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development to issue grants of sh1.5m per graduate to enable them open workshops.
 
Justifying the grant request, Abonga noted that the funds will enable graduates to set up or rent workshop space in addition to buying some materials such as sash clamps, Jackplanes, handsaws and pieces of vital equipment.
 
"There are not many workshops that can give us jobs immediately after we graduate, however, we are trained to create our own jobs. So, if we are assisted with startup capital this will encourage more Ugandans to at join vocational training institutes," said Abonga.
 
The wood works exhibition was supported by HWK/TVET training program based in Germany through the h Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) and the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute.
 
Officiating at the exhibition, Patrick Sempala, the Principal Education Officer for Technical Vocational Training department in the ministry of education advised training institutions to sell some of the products made during training sessions.
 
"Money generated will be used for buying raw materials, and also instill a sense of business in students. When selling such items should be less than the market prices since the main aim is to get some extra money for raw materials," said Ssempala.
 
He added that this has worked in countries like Germany where by its students in universities that maker most of the products that are sold.
Cornelia Zupp, the technical Advisor, said they will continue supporting such exhibitions to help promote technical education in Uganda to respond to ensure that there is adequate skilled manpower.