MBARARA- A total of 235 youth graduated from Ankole Zonal Industrial Hub last week after undergoing training in vocational skills that if put to good use the trainees should be able to create their own jobs.
The youth were passed out by the chief guest, Jane Barekye, the State House Comptroller who stressed the importance of zonal industrial hubs across the country.
While awarding certificates to the graduands in Muko village, Rushozi Sub-county in Mbarara district, Gloria Tukundane, the hub manager said he had been approached by parents requesting government to increase the number of youth joining the hub.
Each district in Ankole Sub-region was required to send 12 beneficiaries to the skills training hub and were awarded Level One certificate by the Directorate of Industrial Training [DIT] under the Ministry of Education.
Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, director of Presidential Projects and Industry Hubs appealed to parliament to allocate more funds to the programmes, saying they have overwhelming numbers of youth interested in joining the hubs running various courses at a free cost to students.
“For instance, we received over 250 youths from every district yet we needed only 230 from Ankole region for the first intake, meaning that people have embraced this programme,” Kamugisha explained.
He also appealed to the grandaunts to further their studies to be able to master their vocational skills. “If you finish this level, practice for at least one year, come back and train to gain more experience. You can go up to Level Five which is equivalent to a degree,” he said.
Patrick Aturinda, one of the graduates who dropped out after Senior Four in 2019 said he has gained skills that will earn him a living. He, however, requested the government to further support him to upgrade his studies.
Margret Ayebare, Woman MP Mbarara district, asked the government to always provide beneficiaries with startup capital. “Most of these students come from vulnerable families and from training if they go out without tool kits, they will forget what they will have learnt, so we are requesting State House to equip the grandaunts with toolkits,” Ayebare said.
John Mugarura, LC III chairman Rubaya Sub-county appealed to the government to add animal nutrition to the courses being offered to support the veterinary department in the area. “Our animals lack what to eat especially during the dry spell and others die from diseases because of few veterinary extension services,” he said
Meanwhile, Barekye who represented President Museveni during the function implored the beneficiaries to emphasise the aspect of saving to grow big in their businesses. “Start little but learn how to save. If you save every day, trust me you are going to develop,” she said.
She said more courses would be added in the next intake to allow more youths to benefit from the hubs. “As of now, we are going to increase the number of skills. We are going to put in bakery, bricklaying and construction and then later we shall add plumbing,” she said.
Currently, vocational skills such as carpentry and joinery, tailoring and garment cutting, hairdressing and welding are being offered in the 12 zonal industrial hubs located in Ankole, Rwenzori, Tooro, Greater Mubende, Mengo, Bugisu, Karamoja, Sebei, Acholi, Lango, and Bunyoro, West Nile.
Barekye also asked the political and civil leaders to mobilise the trained youth into SACCOs so that they embrace government development programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), noting that 30 percent of the PDM funds were allocated to the youth.
https://thecooperator.news/over-200-youth-passed-out-at-tooro-zonal-industrial-hub/
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