Children and Youth Affairs Minister Balaam Barugahara inspects stalls before presiding over the 10th graduation ceremony at Lugogo Vocational Training Institute on Friday.
The government has pledged to support Lugogo Vocational Training Institute to, among other things, acquire modern equipment.
On Friday, the institute graduated 1,876 students in the different courses of building construction, automotives, electrical installation, painting, machinery and fitting, woodwork, plumbing, and wielding, among others.
The Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, presided over the 10th graduation ceremony.
During inspection, Barugahara learned that most of the equipment currently being used by the institute was procured in 1954.
The institute also suffers from low enrollment among girls. The current intake has 419 learners. However, only 37 are girls.
Barugahara pledged to take the matter before Cabinet so that more funding is channeled to the Institute.
He also pledged to connect the institute with development partners for collaboration.
Addressing the graduands, Barugahara said the graduates are a testimony of the government’s skillful policy. He appealed to the graduates to be good ambassadors in their communities. Barugahara also asked the graduates to go and practice what they learned with professionalism and integrity and stay away from corrupt tendencies.
He asked the graduates to look for capital from the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, and the GROW project so as to be able to create jobs.
David Luyima Mubiru, the Assistant Commissioner, Standards in the Ministry of Education and Sports, appealed to parents to support the graduates to upgrade beyond certificates. Luyima said Uganda currently has a “syndrome” of “presenting papers.”
The institute principal, Wilson Tumuhamye, attributed the minimal success at the institution to teamwork. Mwesigye commended the government for setting up the institute and continuing to give support to ensure its day-to-day running.
