In Uganda, employers and the general public have over the years raised concerns over the work-readiness skills and productivity of graduates from universities and other tertiary institutions. The major skill-gaps include among others: Work-readiness, proactivity, industrious, entrepreneurship, communication, work ethics and general work attitude. While the lack of work-readiness skills might be considered as a challenge, the growing unemployment levels are more worrying. In Uganda annually, there are more graduates from Universities and Vocational institutions than the jobs available in the economy.
The government of Uganda in response to this unemployment challenge has developed a ten-year strategic plan for Business, Technical, Vocational Education, and Training (BTVET). The strategy is aimed at imparting employability skills and competencies to graduates that are needed in the labour market for increased productivity and growth. Government has further put in place policy and strategies including the National Employment Policy, National Youth Policy, Vision 2040, and Skilling Uganda Strategic Plan 2012-2022. However, despite all the above strategies and interventions, youth unemployment remains high and is partly attributed to inappropriate skills for the labour market.
Rationale for the Skilling Initiative (SI)
In an effort to complement existing interventions by various stakeholders, UGT is undertaking strategic interventions to
support the skilling initiative (SI). The programme aims at imparting graduates and students with the required skills
for acquiring and keeping a job, and/or become job creators. The SI will also endeavour to hand-hold those graduates
that would have passed through our hands for a period of up to 3 months to deal with the challenges they encounter in
their acquired jobs or in the businesses they created.
This initiative will impart the much-needed skills required for a 21st century worker and entrepreneur, and is what students need during and after graduation. These include Work-readiness (employability), entrepreneurship, productivity (technical skills), Life skills, Innovativeness and problem solving techniques.
To become the leading provider of appropriate technology, technology innovations and research to enterprises in Uganda and beyond.
To enable competitiveness and growth of enterprises through transfer of appropriate technology innovations and research outputs, incubation, supporting students' internship and skills development.
We believe in continuous improvement, promote and reward creativity, innovations and adaption of new emerging ideas especially in technology.
We are honest and adhere to moral and ethical principles.
We embrace togetherness, sharing ideas and learning from each other. We combine resources, competences, skills and work as a team in pursuit of our vision.
We are committed to social responsibility and believe in promoting a culture of independence rather than dependence.
We are dependable and reliable and conduct ourselves in a way that elicits confidence.
We embrace and nature individual contributions and ideas to build a strong and sustainable trust.
