Vocational Skills Development

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Vocational Skills Development

It is estimated that 27% or approximately 10 million people in Uganda are poor (UBOS, 2017), unemployment is one of the contributors to poverty. Youth unemployment is growing by the day; 65% of youth between 20 and 24 are not working. This implies 11.8million youth mostly from University and other tertiary institutions find difficulty in getting jobs.
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The Uganda government has implemented numerous programs aimed at creating employment opportunities such as Prosperity for All, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) to mention but a few; however the country is still struggling with the rising unemployment rate that stands at 9.4%. In pursuit for ways to earn a living, many youth have resorted to non-productive activities such as gambling (sports betting).

Ahaibwe and Mbowa (2014), assert that causes of youth unemployment are multifaceted, ranging from an inadequate investment/supply side of jobs, insufficient employable skills whereby youth possess skills that are not compatible with available jobs and high rates of labor force growth at 4.7 percent per annum. Training institutions continue to produce graduates whose skills are a mismatch with the labour market which makes it harder to tackle youth unemployment. This gap necessitates development of skills of the youth that are crucial for job creation and that can increase their employability.

REBi is contributing to the closure of this gap of youth unemployment by partnering with technical and vocational institutions to equip youth and young adults with relevant skills demanded by the labour market. REBi provides scholarships to vocational and technical students pursuing national diplomas in engineering courses related to renewable energy. Upon completion of their course works, students are attached to renewable energy companies for industrial training to expose them to the world of work. The acquired skills increase their employability hence making them more marketable.