Ugandan youth urged on vocational education

BY JAQUILINE EMODEK and JOB BWIRE

The minister for trade, industry and cooperatives, Amelia Kyambadde, has advised youth without formal education to enroll for vocational training where they can acquire survival skills and support economic development.

“Once you are equipped with vocational skills, you are more at an advantage because you can survive in society and support economic development," she said.

Speaking Thursday at the first worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (PAS) graduation ceremony for welders at Uganda school for the deaf, Ntinda the minister said government notes lack of skilled and competent human resources as a bottleneck to labour productivity, value addition, creativity and innovations through science and technology.

“My ministry is implementing a number of programmes that include Juakali training by the World Bank, one village one product program, quality infrastructure and standards programme, among others, all aimed at improving productivity and creating job opportunities for youth,” Kyambadde said.

She further observed that as a way of promoting human resource and skills development, the cabinet approved skilling Uganda, a program under 10-year Business Technical Vocational Education and Training (BTVET), aimed at changing youth attitudes towards employment opportunities.

She also called upon youth to take advantage of opportunities provided by government, especially in the petroleum sector, development policies, among others.

“Government has been supporting organized small scale enterprises like Katwe fabricators and welders by giving them land and machinery,” she said.

“Vocational training is a good opportunity for you to apply your skills to become future entrepreneurs by being creative and innovative,” she added.

According to George Kiwungulo, the principal qualification Assessment and Certification officer from the ministry of Education and sports, the ministry with support from development partners has embraced reforms in the BTVET.

“To date, a lot of initiatives are progressively being pursued to market the subsector to the public and influence the public to appreciate the value of vocational education and training,” Kiwungulo said.

However, he added that BTVET system will be reformed to create a comprehensive system of skills development for employment, enhance productivity and economic growth, among others.

“This is all meant to create employable skills and competencies relevant in the labor market,” Kiwungulo added.

A total of 25 students from Contractors Sun Frontiers supported by Swisscontact graduated with certificate of worker’s PAS.

“Do not waste the skills you have acquired because skills can really help especially the poor without the necessary financial resources,” said Wilson Bikangaga, the director Contractor Sun Frontiers.