A total of 350 students have today enrolled for a six-month free vocational skills training programme at the Subway Skilling Centre in Kampala under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child (PISGBC).
The students, who make up the centre’s eighth cohort, will receive training in four vocational areas: bakery, weaving, knitting and shoemaking.
The programme is part of a Presidential initiative aimed at equipping disadvantaged young people with practical skills to enable them to become self-reliant, secure employment and improve their livelihoods.
At the end of the six-month training, the students will be assessed by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) before graduating. They will then be encouraged to use the skills acquired to start businesses or seek employment.
Ms. Katushabe Stellamaris, the Supervisor of Subway Skilling Centre, said the centre provides breakfast and lunch to the students to help them concentrate on their studies throughout the training period.
She said the programme primarily targets disadvantaged young people, including youths from ghettos and school dropouts, by giving them an opportunity to acquire practical skills and a second chance in life.
“We target the unprivileged students, including those from the ghettos and school dropouts. Our aim is to give them a second chance so that they can live better and happier lives,” Ms. Katushabe said.
Ms. Ronah Kamahoro Natukunda, the Administrator of Subway Skilling Centre, said the centre currently has the capacity to train only 350 students because of limited space.
She appealed for additional space and facilities, saying this would enable the centre to accommodate and train more young people.
Mr. Natukunda said the programme has transformed many young people who have passed through the centre, with several graduates leaving with skills that have enabled them to start their own businesses.
She commended President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for supporting disadvantaged young people and creating opportunities for those who had previously struggled to find a path to self-reliance.
“Many people have reformed and are now doing well because of these opportunities. We thank the President for helping the needy and those who had lost hope in life,” she said.
The students also expressed appreciation for the opportunity, saying the skills they are acquiring will help them become self-reliant and improve their livelihoods after completing the training.
The Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child is a free vocational training programme established by State House in 2017 under the directive of President Museveni to equip disadvantaged young people with practical skills and create opportunities for self-employment.
