HOIMA– 110 youth from Bunyoro Kitara kingdom have a reason to smile after they qualified to learn to drive heavy trucks that will be used in the oil and gas sector.
The training is one of the initiatives that were set out by China National Offshore Oil Corporation [CNOOC] Uganda to prepare the kingdom’s subjects to tap into opportunities created by the oil and gas sector.
CNOOC Uganda is in preparations to drill oil from Kingfisher oil field in Buhuka parish Kyangwali sub-county in Kikuube district.
While the discovery of oil in the Albertine region has raised fears of a likely resource curse, government and oil companies are putting in place strategies to mitigate the negative impacts associated with the industry.
On Tuesday afternoon, CNOOC in partnership with Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom launched training to prepare the youth for job opportunities.
Speaking during the launch at the Kingdom administration offices, Mathew Kyaligonza, the National Content manager CNOOC Uganda said over 700 youth applied to be trained, even though only 110 were selected.
He noted that the training programme started in 2020 following an extensive industrial baseline survey that was conducted to determine and align planned projects with goods and services within the Ugandan market.
He explained that the survey highlighted there would be 100,000 to 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in the oil and gas sector, many to be available during the production phase.
He added that it was found out that the oil and gas sector will need 2,500 skilled drivers. He said right now, not many skilled drivers for heavy trucks are available in Bunyoro, hence the need to train the selected youth.
The training is to be conducted by Uganda Driving Standards for three months.
The beneficiaries will be equipped with driving skills that will allow them to operate beyond the East Africa region, according to officials.
While flagging off the youth for the training, Kingdom Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga Ateenyi commended CNOOC Uganda for the initiative, adding there is still a need to prepare the Kingdom’s subjects for the upcoming oil and gas opportunities.
He noted that the discovery of oil and gas in the Kingdom has created a lot of excitement and anxiety, adding that such training of skilling the kingdom’s subjects has come at the right time.
He said the issue of local content is still a big challenge that needs to be handled if the kingdom’s subjects are to benefit from the sector expected to boost Uganda’s economy in the years ahead.
He said the kingdom’s subjects owning businesses are missing out on several oil and gas opportunities because they lack information on how to tap into the opportunities in the sector.
Henry Mugume, from the Petroleum Authority of Uganda [PAU], explained that training is one of the initiatives put in place to promote local content.
He noted that the trained youth are always registered on the National Oil and Gas Talent Register for purposes of ensuring they get job opportunities.
Alice Night from Kikuube district and one of the beneficiaries to undergo training as a lorry driver was excited, saying that she has for a long time wished to become a lorry driver but that was limited by finances.
https://thecooperator.news/at-least-600-students-will-join-bunyoro-industrial-hub/
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