A total of 462 trainees graduated today at the Kigezi Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub in Kabale district of which 243 were girls from the first and the second intake completed their vocational training and awarded certificates in different technical skills including Bakery & Confectionery, Welding and metal fabrications, Leather processing (shoe making),Tailoring and design, Hairdressing and makeup, Building and Construction Practice and Carpentry & Joinery.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Kabale district Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Catherine Ndamira Atwakiire owabodingi hailed President Museveni for his vision to fight poverty in Uganda especially in the districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Rubanda, Rukia, Kanungu and Rukungiri through thinking about the youths and Skilling them with different skills like plumbing, tailoring, brick block laying, welding among other.
“I thank President Museveni, for the period he has been in power, he has championed peace and transformation. I thank our children for accepting to join the money economy through learning employable vocational skills.
As a member of the budget committee, we have agreed to add money to the State House to further empower this program,” Hon. Ndamira said.
Hon Catheline Ndamira urged the beneficiaries from the hub to use the acquired skills to earn income and use it to develop themselves , saying that there are no longer office jobs, have discipline , and focus on the acquired skills .
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt.Hon. Thomas Tayebwa speaking as a Guest of Honor reiterated that Parliament will continue to support the State House further the Presidential Skilling Program which is mainly aimed at fighting unemployment in Uganda.
“Ms. Jane Barekye the State House Comptroller, I have heard that you need 10 billion shillings to set up common user facilities for our skilled youths, please bring the documents to Parliament and we will give you the money. This (skilling) program should be supported because it is proving solutions to unemployment. Let us thank President Museveni for this wonderful program,” Rt. Hon. Tayebwa said.
Rt. Hon. Tayebwa hailed Members of Parliament especially on the budget committee where Hon Catheline Ndamira Atwakiire sits for appropriating money to the Presidential hubs to ensure that more young people are trained hands-on skills saying the money has been well utilised. He implored students to be disciplined as they begin their journey into the money economy.
“Now you look at me as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament but a few years ago I was like you, and I was nobody. I once went on the streets and demonstrated but I never lost focus. You can also make it in life and it's now your turn to change the situation,” Rt. Hon. Tayebwa told the youths, cautioning them against bad practices like alcoholism.
The hub is located in two villages of (Rukaranga and Murambo) both in Buranga Parish, Kamuganguzi sub county, Ndorwa West Constituency Kabale District.
It comprises students from 9 Administrative units with 6 districts and 3 municipalities namely; Kabale, Kabale municipality, Rubanda district, Rukiga district, Kisoro District, Kisoro Municipality, Rukungiri District, Rukungiri Municipality and Kanungu District.
According to the State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, all what President Museveni intended to achieve when he initiated the Industrial hubs has been achieved which include among others; create jobs among the youth, train job creators not job seekers, reduce criminality and above all improve household incomes.
“The President is now planning to set up common user facilities with required machines in every district which hosts a skilling hub to give opportunity to our youths who have graduated to continue practising their skills,” Ms. Barekye said.
She also called upon the trainees to remain disciplined as they look for opportunities.
Kigezi Industrial Zonal Hub in Kabale district is one of the 19 hubs constructed across the country with the aim of equipping over 12, 000 youths every year under the Presidential Initiative on skilling of the youth to usher them into the money economy. Other beneficiaries include Greater Mbarara, Greater Masaka, Kayunga, Kampala, Kyenjojo, Kasese, Ntoroko, Adjumani, Gulu, Lira, Mbale, Kibuku, and Jinja districts.
Each learner was awarded with a Uganda Vocational Qualifications Level One Certificate by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) which is equivalent to the Uganda certificate of education level and internationally recognized according to Mr. Johnson Turyamwesimira, Principal Qualifications Officer, DIT.
Lion Mwebesa Emmanuel The Manager Kigezi Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub appaupled the UPDF for the Mindset Training and Ideological Orientation which he said did a commendable work in instilling vocational skills, Kiswahili, life skills, physical fitness and discipline.
“It has been a collective responsibility for all staff to make sure that all trainees improve on their discipline and I am glad we achieved that. We have not only skilled these trainees but also nurtured them to be transformational leaders. Our great thanks go to H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for his great wisdom of skilling the youth, I also want to thank him for fulfilling his promise of building Industrial Hubs as per his Manifesto for last elections. Our guest of Honor, I want to report to you that this is the best way of bringing our youth into the money economy,” Mr. Mwebesa said.
He implored graduates to create their future now that they have the required skills.
The Director of Industrial Hubs and Presidential Projects at State House, Eng. Raymond Akankwatsa Kamugisha, appreciated partners with whom they work with to ensure the success of the program. These include among others; the Ministry of Local government, RDCs, Youth Chairpersons, people with disabilities and the UPDF who specialise in mindset change and ideology.
The Presidential Initiative for Zonal Industrial Hub was commissioned in April 2022 in Kigezi region aimed at skilling youth in the districts of Rukungiri, Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, Rubanda, and Rukiga as well as the three Municipalities of Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri of which more than 450 graduands have benefitted from the hub.
The ceremony was attended by Resident district commissioners, LCV chairpersons, security officers, District commercial Officers and District National Resistance Movement-NRM chairpersons Among others .
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