THE UGANDA SKILLING PROJECT

(Poverty alleviation and social development in Uganda through skilling)

Despite its impressive rates of growth in recent years, Uganda remains one of the poorest countries in
the world. It ranks 158 out of 174 countries in the United Nation’s Human Development Index, which
compares life expectancy at birth, the adult literacy rate and per capita incomes (UNDP, 2002). And
according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the national poverty level in Uganda increased from 19.7%
in the financial year 2012/13 to 21.4% in 2019/2020 (UBOS Report, 2020). The poverty incidence
remains higher in rural areas (31 per cent) compared to urban areas (15 per cent). As it stands, Uganda
has nearly 10 million poor people (UNHS, 2020).

The underlying cause of these alarming poverty statistics is the lack of skills among the masses. One
third of the working age population in Uganda lack the basic skills required to get quality jobs, leaving
them unable to achieve their full productive potential and limiting economic investment and growth
(World Bank, 2020). Unskilled workers are forced into unemployment or are stuck in unstable low-wage
jobs that offer little career mobility or growth. As they age, they become increasingly vulnerable to job
losses and labor market shocks. Low skills perpetuate poverty and inequality because the private sector
cannot flourish in a country such as Uganda that doesn’t have a skilled workforce to sustain it. However,
Skills development can reduce unemployment, raise incomes, and improve standards of living.

For sustainable economic growth therefore, all sectors such as Agriculture, Construction, Manufacturing,
Oil and Gas, Transport, ICT, and Hospitality, require a skilled workforce. Skills such as Electrical skills,
Mechanical skills, Welding skills, ICT and Digital skills, Business Management skills, etc. are essential to
poverty alleviation and social development in Uganda (UMA, 2020). Projects which enable young
especially those without formal education acquire practical skills are indispensable in the fight against
poverty in Uganda. Likewise, implementing skilling programmes for the youth, women and the elderly, is
central in poverty assuagement and social development. It is no doubt that a skilled population would
give the country a development leap (Uganda’s Economy in Perspective, 2020).

Sunmaker therefore proposes a poverty alleviation and Social development project, titled, “The Uganda
Skilling Project, USP). Through this project, 5000 Ugandans from Kampala and Jinja (Two districts known
for Industry Prowess) will be skilled in 4 key areas: 1) Manufacturing (i.e. Welding, Mechanical
Engineering – Repair and Maintenance, Electrical Installation and Maintenance), 2) ICT and Digital
Technology (I.e. General ICT skills, Digital Marketing, e-Commerce Website building), 3) Construction
Technology (I.e. Road Construction, AUTOCAD, Dam construction and General building design), 4) Oil
and Gas (I.e. Pipeline Technology, Refinery Operations, and Field Operations). The beneficiaries will be
trained and certified with American certification. For example, Welders will be certified by the American
Welding Society (AWS).

Skilling in these 4 key areas presents two road maps from poverty: Employment and self-Employment. A
Ugandan with Welding skills (1G – 6G) for example can easily choose between seeking for employment
in already established companies or go the self-employment way through which he/she can employ
others. An ICT-skilled Youth can use Digital Marketing skills to start an Online Marketing brand or get
employed in a variety of marketing firms. Also, women with no formal education but skilled in AUTOCAD
can easily start architectural firms and employ learned Architects. On the other hand, the impending
boom in the Oil and Gas sector will require 200,000 Welders to Work on the pipeline project, 150,000
Electrical Engineers and 400,000 casual labourers knowledgeable in Oil and Gas field operations (TOTAL
E&P et.al. 2020). Having a ready workforce will be mandatory in meeting these labour demands.