Over 200 youth passed out at Tooro Zonal Industrial Hub
KYENJOJO – On Monday, a total of 201 youth graduated at Tooro Zonal Industrial Hub in Kijwiga village Kyenjojo district after completing training in bakery, block making and stone cutting, shoe making, tailoring, and knitting.
Others completed training in wielding, and hairdressing and were also taken through mindset change. The youth were drawn from the districts of Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge, Kitagwenda, and Bundibugyo.
Jane Barekye, the State House comptroller who was the chief guest at the pass-out ceremony said State House would give trainees startup capital, which was not the case before.
Barekye said State House would soon build common user facilities in different regions of the country where the industrial hubs are located and equip them with machines that the youth can use at a free cost to make their products for sale.
“The establishment of the common user facility is the immediate solution to help those who have no capital to buy machines on their own. And this will be accessible at no fee, they just need to come with their materials to use,” Barekye said.
The Kyegegwa Woman Member of Parliament, Sylivia Rwabuhoro however appealed to President Museveni to consider buying toolkits for the youth recruited in training hubs so that they start work immediately after they are passed out.
“I would like to implore you [implementers] and this whole programme to link up with the Directorate of Labour and Employment Service in the Ministry of Gender so that we can be able to tap into the business toolkits,” Rwabuhoro said.
She said when she was in the 9th parliament President Museveni came up with Jua kali initiative whereby each year, government would appropriate Shs 50 billion to provide business toolkits to young people being skilled.
She said parliament in the last financial year allocated only Shs 13 billion for business toolkits, adding that more money should be provided for this purpose if the youth are to create their own jobs.
“The Ministry of Finance does not seem to link the Presidential Initiative on Skilling with the Jua kali which provides us with the business tool kits,” she observed.
Francis Kisembo, one of the youth who completed training in wielding, called upon government to support them with capital through the Parish Development Model [PDM] or Emyooga.
The youth passed out were urged to act as role models to others and help in the fight against poverty.
The Tooro Zonal Industrial Hub, which is one of the 20 presidential industrial hubs around the country can accommodate up to 300 students per semester.
Other State House-controlled industrial regional hubs are located in the districts of Gulu, Lira, Zombo, Mbarara, Mbale, Kasese, Kyenjojo, Mubende, Kween, Masindi, Kayunga, Ntoroko, and Napak.
The State House zonal industrial hubs were initiated by President Museveni to minimise high unemployment levels among the youth.
It is estimated that about 13.3 percent of youth aged between 18 and 30 years are unemployed.
Lack of sufficient experience and skills needed in the labour market is one of the major causes of youth unemployment.
https://thecooperator.news/skilling-the-youth-bunyoro-zonal-industrial-hub-passes-out-over-200/
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