UDB’s Director Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Joshua Allan Mwesigwa (Left) launching the Program Monday.
Uganda Development Bank Limited has Monday launched its second cohort of the Graduate Apprenticeship Program (GAP) that will provide hands-on skills development and job opportunities to young professionals in Uganda.
According to the Bank’s Strategy and Corporate Director, Joshua Allan Mwesiga, the initiative is intended to create a pool of UDBL’s future talent needs and that wit the Program, the Bank will respond to the need to develop its human capital and create a sustainable, decent and meaningful jobs for budding professionals in line with the Government’s Vision 2040 and NDP III agenda.
“At UDB, we recognize that job creation is central to the national socio-economic development process and core to the country’s transformation. GAP is our response to this very pertinent aspect of this country,” Mwesiga said.
Mwesiga adds “that there is no specialized institution for development finance training in the country” and that the Bank “sought to contribute to development of these skills and competencies in the country by identifying high-achieving young individuals with high enterpreneurial and managerial promise, and by skilling them appropriately.”
At the end of their training, Mwesiga says “the apprenticees will have acquired the relevant competencies required for various roles; those that will have successfully completed the program, demonstrated the right attitude, conduct and aptitude, will be absorbed in to the Bank’s service.”
Under the Program, the Bank is calling for applications from graduates in specific fields of study (must have graduated within the past three years), from the finalists will be identified following a structured and competitive selection. The areas of study include Engineering (Mechanical, Software and Mechatronic, Irrigation and Agro processing), Data management (Data science, analysis, architecture, mathematics, computer science and Physics), Statistics and Qualitative Economics, HR Management and Organizational Behaviour, Environmental Science and Sustainable Development and related fields.
UDB expects Ugandans that will have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree qualification in the above fields from a recognized institution, must have scored a CGPA of 4.0 and above, must be under the age of 30 and must apply by September 30, 2022.
In 2020, the Bank rolled our the Program which attracted over 500 applicants.
After a rigorous selection process, four people were selected, trained for a minimum of 12 months and employed by the Bank.
These are: Joel Sserunkuuma, Ibrahim Wanume, Deo Asiimwe and Fiona Martha Kababiito who have been employed as Investment Officer (Agriculture), Investment Officer (Infrastructure), Environment and Social Risk Officer and Civil Engineer (Project Preparation Unit) respectively.
“I met experienced people who took me through all stages of financing. As a pure scientist, i didn’t know anything to do with financing. This is a good program worth taking on,” Asiimwe said during the launch.
According to Wanume, the whole training process is about learning.
“It’s interesting to come from these institutions and learn,” Wanume said.
Kababito says that at the end of the training, “you will not remain the same.”
The beneficiaries now want fresh graduates to take up the opportunity, get trained and absorbed.
UDB expects to absorb eight applicants.
