Speaker Kadaga wants better funding for vocational institutions

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, has pledged to mobilise funding and support for vocational institutes in Busoga sub-region.

Kadaga said she will involve industries and factories and keep urging the government, since they are the major beneficiaries of graduates from the vocational institutes.

“I promise to work with the MPs and government to solicit funding and support internationally and locally from the government and other stakeholders to improve the quality of our schools so that they are well equipped,” she said.

Kadaga was officiating at the first graduation ceremony of Basoga Nsadhu Vocational Institute in Busiki, Namutumba District on Thursday, 24 October, 2019.

Kadaga was impressed that some of the graduands had already got jobs or were already productive even before graduation.

“While attending a graduation of Nawanyago Technical Institute recently, I was delighted to learn that one of the graduates was already working as a chef at State House even before graduation,” she said.

She further advocated for more girls and boys to cross cuttingly take part in the various skills without leaving them to any particular gender.

“Mechanical training is not restricted to boys and neither is hairdressing [to girls only],” Kadaga said.

The area MP, Hon. Paul Akamba (Ind., Busiku County) thanked the Speaker for supporting the establishment of the Institute and asked parents, leaders and the youth to support and embrace vocational education because the skills acquired during vocational training propel industry and development.

“White collar professionals like Lawyers or Economists are not the backbone of development but rather the skills-based professions which support industrial development,” he said.

Akamba told parents to encourage their children to take on the path of acquiring technical skills and crafts as they are equally well paying especially when mastered and support self-employment.

Akamba advocated for the inclusion of the Basoga Nsadhu Vocational Institute in the Busoga Education Initiative and the Busoga Consortium to benefit from funding.