From New Vision

The Ministry of Education needs sh200bn annually to implement the newly introduced ambitious government plan of skills education.

A sum of sh500m was budgeted for the activities of skilling reform task force which is overseeing the implementation of the new plan currently, according to the Director of Industrial Training in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Eng. Henry Okinyal.  He added that in three years, the Task Force will give way to a Skills Development Authority.

He said that the World Bank has earmarked $75m for the skilling Uganda plan, but it is yet to decide on the areas to be funded. “We cannot put a figure to what the donors are going to give, but the World Bank has put a side $75m. A consultative meeting of stakeholders has already taken place. The decision now lies with the World Bank…,” Okinyal said.

He said that the problem of lack of skills in Uganda is very big and still growing. He said that there is need to develop skills in Uganda and set respectable standards that would be make Ugandans competent in the region.

According to Okinyal, about 390,000 youth enter the labour market yearly but only 130,000 of them get absorbed into formal employment leaving out the remaining sh260,000.

“This shows the magnitude of our problem,” Okinyal said about the problem of lack of skills in Uganda. He noted that the Ugandan population is growing at a fast rate of 3.3% with the national population standing at 33.6million people now.

Read more at newvision.co.ug