Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo has passed out hundreds of youths who have undergone training in various skills beneficial to the world of work.
The hands-on training was conducted at Teso Presidential Skilling Hub-Soroti city where the youths were trained in various practical skills including bakery, tailoring, Carpentry, Welding among others.
Officiating at the graduation ceremony where they were awarded certificates, Alupo advised the granduands to use the skills and competencies attained to invest in four areas including Commercial Agriculture, Industry, Services and ICT which she said are lucrative.
She said the four areas have been identified and approved by government as the only solution to addressing joblessness among youth.
“There are many job opportunities in these four areas. Investing in any of them, one will not regret” she said and advised them against wasting their training by engaging in soft life activities such as betting.
Alupo noted that when more Ugandans select profitable enterprises in the four areas, production of Ugandan commodities and services will continue to go up hence improving on their income status and also contribute to national development.
“As government we have done our part. We have put in place the required infrastructure like electricity and roads for you to do any investment. If we bring electricity to your area, we are telling you to do business. Use that electricity to do welding, salon, carpentry, bakery and other work that require less capital. Those doing commercial farming, we have worked on the roads to ease transportation of your produce” she advised.
The No.2 who is also Katakwi district woman MP added that investing in those areas will enable the graduands to create jobs and employ many other youths in their localities.
She commended her boss Gen. Yoweri Museveni for this initiative which she said will greatly improve livelihoods of the granduands and their communities. She urged the granduands to remain loyal to their country by engaging in constructive work.
“Avoid being idle. You’re now skilled people who should be change agents. Go out to your communities and impart the same skills you have attained on them. Start small enterprises and remain focused on developing them so that they can expand. That way, we shall all come back here to rejoice as successful men and women contributing to the national job creation agenda” she counseled.
Meanwhile, State House comptroller Jane Barekye said the program has benefited many youths across the country.
She said her office will keep monitoring those trained to ensure that they remain steadfast in implementing what they have learnt. The function was also attended by former SFC commander Maj. Gen. Don Nabasa.
