Technical colleges to get sh30b equipment

Aug 02, 2020

The project worth US $78m is one of the options the Government initiated to operationalise the BTVET strategic Plan.

EDUCATION

The education ministry, Thursday signed contracts worth over sh30b with three foreign companies to equip 12 newly refurbished technical colleges.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Alex Kakooza, signed the contracts with representatives of Eagles Scientific Limited, Delorenzo SPA and Venefir SRL at the ministry headquarters in Kampala. Dr Safinah Museene, the commissioner for Business and Technical Education, representatives of the institutions and other ministry officials were also present.

The beneficiary institutes are Karera Technical Institute in Bushenyi, Nyamitanga Technical Institute (Mbarara) Rwentanga Farm Institute (Mbarara), Kitgum Technical Institute, Kalongo Technical Institute (Agago), Ora Technical Institute (Zombo) and Butaleja Technical Institute.

 Others are Kasodo Technical Institute (Pallisa), Kaliro Technical Institute (Kaliro), Ssese Farm Institute (Kalangala), Lake Katwe Training Institute (Kasese) and Kaberamaido Technical Institute.

However the institutions are combined under three centres of excellence of Uganda Technical College Lira, Uganda Technical College Elgon and Uganda Technical College Bushenyi.

EQUIPMENT

Eagles Scientific, an international agency offering consultancy, vocational training, equipment supply and technical support, will deliver workshop equipment worth sh6.8b ($1.8m) to Uganda Technical Institute Lira.

Venefir SRL from Italy, will supply technical education workshop equipment for Elgon Technical College to the tune of sh12.8b (about $ 3.4m), while Delorenzo SPA will supply equipment worth sh11.1b (about $3m) to Bushenyi.

 Kakooza said each company is expected to deliver, install, train users and commission the technical education workshop equipment.

The equipment to be delivered include road construction equipment, welding and fabrication equipment, among others.

This investment is being made through the Uganda Skills Development Project (USDP) funded by World Bank.

The project worth US $78m is one of the options the Government initiated to operationalise the BTVET strategic Plan.

USDP is a five-year project, which was approved in April 2015, and became effective in October 2016, targeting key sectors of the economy such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing.

"Do not deliver sub-standard equipment. It is your obligation to deliver the right equipment and in time," Kakooza urged the contractors.

He added: "Our target is to transform vocational institutions into the first choice for parents and learners via rebranding technical and vocational education."

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