VP Prof. Bukenya shares a light moment with some of the graduates of the 3rd Pioneer Youth Training Program

The Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya has said that a vocational skills empowerment system that follows its students into the work-field to monitor their progress and helps to rectify emerging problems provides better value for invested funds by the relevant stakeholders. 

Prof. Bukenya made the remarks during the 3rd graduation ceremony of 100 students who have been undergoing a seven months youth training programme in basic business management and record keeping, soap making, chalk making, cow horn curving, liquid and power detergents manufacturing and knitting and embroidery. The students received certificates courtesy of the Office of the Vice President.

The Vice President said that Uganda’s economy is steadily shifting from being agriculture based to an industrial based one and hence the need to retrain youth without classroom knowledge with such vocational skills in order to enable them lead an acceptable and crime free life.

He added that with the rapidly increasing population of the country, agriculture land which accounts for income and a source of food for many Ugandans is diminishing day by day.

“People who don’t utilize their opportunities and adjust to the changing economic forms of livelihood will die,” Prof. Bukenya said.

Prof. Bukenya said that a number of people without analytical and projective skills have criticized the programme but he has decided to inject 100million shillings from his private sources given the commitment and quality products the students have produced. He noted with appreciation to youth groups in Masulita and Kakiri who have started own registered small companies and are saving their resources in banks collectively.

The Vice President also condemned people who are against the admission procedure since it includes all people without any formal education. He said that the programme targets such people since they contribute a sizeable part of the community and government has an obligation towards them to empower them to self-sustenance.

The Vice President said that activities that prepare the youth for self employment will help reduce unemployment levels since those who start own jobs take on their colleagues and the multiplier effect over time will impact positively on the economy.

The Vice President said all their achievements are a result of their support to President Museveni and the NRM government and urged them to continue with this unwavering support. He thanked resource persons from Roll and Roll especially Abdul Ramon Rugumayo for his business management lectures, Development Finance company Uganda (DFCU), Tina International School of Beauty, and the Programme coordinator Shoney Batenga, for seeing the graduands  through their course.

Tina Kibirige, proprietor of Tina International School of Beauty who has also been a trainer at the kakiri programme thanked the Vice President for insisting on what others don’t see in the short run, but added that his efforts will be rewarded as the beneficiaries make break throughs and testify to it in future.