By Taddeo Bwambale

MUKONO - President Yoweri Museveni has challenged universities and other tertiary institutions to establish practical courses that are relevant to the country’s needs and job market.

He decried the current system, in which the institutions train students to obtain certificates, leaving them vulnerable in the highly competitive job market.

“Many students are graduating with paper qualifications but not the skills required for the job market, making it had for them to get employment when they leave university,” he stated.

The President made the remarks in a speech read for him by education minister, Jessica Alupo, during the 13th Graduation Ceremony of Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Mukono on Friday.

Museveni advised graduates to enrol into the Skilling Uganda programme launched recently to teach short certified courses for school leavers, school dropouts and graduates.

He said through the programme, the graduates will acquire relevant skills that will guarantee them employment in the competitive job market.

Museveni also promised that the student loan scheme would start next year, adding that the Government was finalising a legal framework to operationalise it.

This followed an appeal from the UCU vice chancellor, Rev Can. Dr John Senyonyi that the Government implements the loan scheme to allow more deserving youth to attain university education.

The university’s chancellor and Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi advised graduands to become job creators.

A total of 1,425 graduands were awarded Masters and Bachelor’s degrees as well as Diplomas during the ceremony.

Of these, 811 were female while 614 were male.

The university also launched centenary celebrations for 100 years of its existence, having started as a theological college in 1913.