150 apprentices, graduate volunteers absorbed in different sectors
Kansiime said all apprentices and graduate volunteers are expected to begin their training and placements this July.
The Acting Head of Skills Development, Technology & Innovation at MGLSD, Zachary Kansiime, addressing apprentices and volunteers. (Courtesy photos)
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Marvin Nuwasiime, who is just starting off her employment journey as a lawyer, is optimistic that the National Apprenticeship Programme will help strengthen and broaden her understanding of the law.
As one of hundreds of graduate volunteers to benefit from the programme, she hopes to gain skills in drafting documents, gain confidence during court submissions, and interact with experienced lawyers.
Nuwasiime, who has been volunteering in a law firm around Kampala, is also excited to get a stipend to cater to personal expenses and has rallied fellow unemployed graduates to apply for the programme.
“Do not give up; the programme is real. I applied and have been waiting for the past six months, and finally I was shortlisted," she said.
Deo Obbo, who is an apprentice, studied procurement and supply chain management at Makerere University.
Immediately after graduation, he enrolled as a graduate trainee at the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, where he acquired knowledge and skills in procurement processes.
For the apprenticeship programme, Obbo has been placed in the agriculture sector, particularly in coffee processing and packaging, where he hopes to acquire hands-on skills, consequently enabling him to be self-employed.
“Coffee is providing the biggest revenue for Uganda, so acquiring knowledge and skills on how it is grown, processed, and packaged will help be to be innovative and earn a living,” he said.
Nuwasiime and Obbo are among the first cohort of 150 apprentices and graduate volunteers that the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has recruited to train in selected institutions and acquire skills for the job market.
Apprentices and graduate volunteers pose for a group photo at Fair Way Hotel.
Breaking it down, 50 apprentices will commence off-the-job training in three institutions: Fisheries Training Institute (FTI), Mbale Municipality Community Polytechnic (MMPC), and Bukalasa Agricultural College (BAC).
The other 100 graduate volunteers have been attached to 26 host institutions across different sectors, including agriculture, which is the biggest sector in the country, hotel and tourism, manufacturing, construction, and oil and gas.
Zachary Kansiime, the acting head of skills development, technology & innovation at the labour ministry, who represented permanent secretary Aggrey Kibenge, said all apprentices and graduate volunteers are expected to begin their training and placements this July.
They will be given a monthly stipend of sh549,000 to cover their transportation and meal costs.
An orientation workshop was conducted this week at Fairway Hotel in Kampala to introduce the apprentices and graduate volunteers to the different institutions they have been attached.
During the workshop, the beneficiaries were equipped with knowledge of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) framework, training schedules, workplace expectations, and monitoring procedures.
This process culminates in formal assessment and certification, ensuring that our workforce meets industry standards.
This rollout follows a successful pilot programme. The pilot was rolled out in the hotel and tourism sector, where 1,150 apprentices were trained in over 80 workplaces, and 242 graduate volunteers benefited from the programme after attachment to 42 workplaces.
The pilot phase was supported by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Enabel, and CSC Koblenz.
Kansiime urged the beneficiaries to focus on their work and have the right attitude.
“We are encouraging whoever has been placed to adapt to that work environment, be flexible, learn on the job, and be willing to fit into that culture where you are going to work,” he said.
“If all the trainees are well prepared, many young people will get jobs."
Unemployment burden
The youth unemployment rate in Uganda stands at 17.9% for individuals aged 15 to 24, according to recent data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
For the broader youth demographic aged 18 to 30, the unemployment rate is recorded at 16.1%.
The high unemployment levels fuel a cascade of economic and social crises. With over 700,000 new workers entering a constrained labour market annually, this job scarcity slows gross domestic product (GDP) growth, stretches public services, and worsens poverty.