More Youth and Elderly Benefiting from the Skilling Program

Uganda currently has one of the youngest populations in the world with more than 78% of its 35 million people below the age of 30, of those 11% are unemployed and 26% are largely underemployed. Youth unemployment has been attributed to the narrow size of the formal employment sector and the limited engagement of youth in the agricultural sector that employs more than 85% of the rural population.

In the past year, DLLN – Uganda  established a skilling programme for the youth and young mothers in four areas of Kitayunjwa ( Bugabula), Kisozi ( Buzaya), Kidera and Kagulu (Budiope).The centers were established  to train the youth and young mothers that many people had dismissed as abatasoma/bamisomo gyalema (the uneducated). The centres train these youth in  shoemaking and Crafts, tailoring and hairdressing.

The programme has so far skilled  1,014 youth and succeffully conducted the Diretorate of industrial training ( DIT) Workers Pass exams with funding from Kolschowsky Foundation. The training is free of charge and requires no prior education qualifications and local languages are used for instruction. Having registered commendable success in these areas, the project has further extended to Gwase in Budiope with a new skilling center which is currently operational.DLLN-Uganda intends  to roll out the skilling project throughout the entire Busoga through the establishment of various skilling centers.

Currently, over 960 youth and elderly people with interest in getting skills have been enrolled for the 2023-2024 academic year which commenced in October 2023.