Companies developing oil fields in Uganda’s Albertine belt are challenged to keep an inventory of the people they skill and also keep track of them to know how they are faring after training with intent to assist them get jobs in case they remain unemployed.
Presiding over the graduation and certificate award of 50 youths who completed their international vocational skills in different areas Mr Brian Kaboyo, the Hoima City Mayor, said the link will make these companies that sponsor such trainees to identify them for jobs available for the various skills attained.
He encouraged oil companies that sponsor such skills training to also absorb their trainees on completion of their studies as this will be objectifying the reason for the training and creating employment to the oil host communities of the Albertine region.
Audio: Kaboyo on catalogue and absorption (English)
At the ceremony that took place in Hoima, the mayor advised the graduates to portray a high level of discipline, build trust and exhibit commitment at work for their fruitful careers after attaining international certification for the imparted skills enable them to compete on the international job market favourably.
Mr Kaboyo also guided the youth who complete oil induced vocational skilling to prioritise job creation given that the skills they get level a good ground for self-employment and self-sustainable financial sources.
Audio: Kaboyo on trained youth (English)
The mayor appreciated CNOOC for always availing opportunities to the youth in the Albertine region to train and get skills that can sustain them for posterity.
The Hoima East Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner noted that vocation skills development is a surer way of checking the contemporary pool of unemployment that is causing a stern financial crunch especially among the youths in Uganda.
Mr William Donanto Kasigazi said CNOOC is in line with the presidential recommendation on vocational skills attainment as one of the best avenues of fighting job seeking tendencies among the youth.
Audio: Kasigazi on vocational skills development (English)
Mr Joseph Nyakairu, the National Senior Coordinator In-charge of Capacity Building at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), said the training is preparing the youth to provide linkages in the different sectors of the economy to help develop their better financial and family life for sustainable livelihood.
He revealed that between 2023 and 2025, the oil and gas industry will need more than 160,000 employees; thus, the current youth training in vocational skills is part of the measures PAU is actualising to enhance their participation.
Audio: Nyakairu on attained skills (English)
The youths who trained in scaffolding, welding, rigging and pipefitting among other courses were drawn from vocational institutes in the Albertine region like Nile Vocational Institute and St Simon Peter’s Vocation Training Institute both in Hoima; Uganda Technical Institute, Kyema in Masindi and Buhimba Technical Institute and St Joseph Technical Institute (TECO) Munteme both in Kikuube district.
He said this during the graduation and awarding of certificates to 50 students who have been trained in different courses like scaffolding, welding rigging, pipefitting among others that was sponsored by CNOOC in partnership with Zetta energy that took place in Hoima city.
The beneficiary were selected from different vocation institution from Albertine region which include St. Joseph technical institute TECO Munteme, Buhimba technical institute in Kikuube district, St Simon Peter vocation training institute and Nile vocation training institute in Hoima district and Uganda technical institute Kyema in Masindi district.
The one month training sponsored by CNOOC partnering with Zetta Energy was conducted at Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Namanve Industrial Park in Kampala.
