The Minister of State for Education and Sports in charge of primary education, Hon. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, on Tuesday presided over a ceremony during which 275 students were awarded certificates by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) in Entebbe Municipality.
The function was coordinated by Mr. Rogers Mulindwa the DIT Brand Ambassador and attended by several leaders within Entebbe and Wakiso District at large.
In her speech to the graduands at Kuwafu play ground in Entebbe B Division, Minister Kaducu commended DIT for the initiative and pledged the ministry’s support towards this cause. “I commend the Directorate for enhancing human capital development. This is one of the most critical areas any nation can invest in for its citizens to transform their lives and communities,” Hon. Kaducu said, adding, “Youths are a very big national asset who, if well trained, can steer the country’s growth and development.”
Although Uganda has one of the fastest growing populations with over 65% predominantly youths and children, the Education Minister said the government has unveiled an opportunity to skill, assess and equip them with the right qualifications required in the current dynamic job market.
She called upon the graduands to form working groups or associations and register them with the relevant authorities if they are to tap into government assistance in form of grants, loans, and other financial initiatives.
“The certificates you have received today must be the basis for new innovation to better your lives by working together in groups and lobby for government support,” the Minister emphasized.
She cautioned young people against excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse, which are likely to compromise their right sense of judgement and motivation as they execute their work. The Minister said the choice in Mr. Mulindwa as a DIT Brand Ambassador would give the Directorste more mileage and commended him for the great work so far done.
We target to empower the youths & eliminate redundancy-Mulindwa
The DIT Brand Ambassador, Mr. Rogers Mulindwa, said despite lacking formal education, the graduating class had perfected their works in different vocational occupations; hence the government’s desire to recognise them with academic documents required in the competitive world job market.
“Some of the young people who have been missing out on jobs at various government levels due to the lack of academic papers now have certified documents that can be equated to the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) qualifications,” Mr. Mulindwa said, noting that the initiative is aimed at eliminating youth redundancy. Mulindwa further commended DIT for the contractual obligation of serving them as their Brand Ambassador.
Aim to acquire more levels, says DIT Director
Mr. Patrick Byakatonda, the Director for the Directorate of Industrial Training, said the certificates awarded to young people are aimed at enabling them to access professional jobs. He added that the certificates are both domestically and internationally recognized in the labour market. Byakatonda urged the graduands to enroll for further assessment levels. “After here, you will do level one which is equivalent to S.4 and then level two equated to S.6”, Byakatonda explained.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, Richard Abigaba pleaded to the government for provision of the necessary equipment and resources that could be used to enhance their productivity and incomes.
