TRANSFORMING YOUTH IN THE RWENZORI SUB-REGION FROM SKILLS TO SELF RELIANCE.
Across the Rwenzori sub-region, young people are increasingly seeking practical skills and opportunities that can help them build sustainable livelihoods. Responding to this need, YAWE Vocational Training Centre continues to provide young people with practical, market-oriented skills that prepare them for employment, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance.
The central focus of YAWE’s training approach is employability. The centre recognizes that training becomes more meaningful when young people can use the knowledge and skills, they acquire to earn a living and improve their quality of life.
A major milestone during the period was the successful completion of a one-year skilling programme of 500 young people skilled in poultry, piggery and apiary. The trainees were officially assessed and certified by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB), that gives them recognized certificates that demonstrate the competencies and practical skills they attained during their training.
The certification represents more than a qualification. For many of the young people, it is an important step toward accessing employment, starting businesses, improving their existing enterprises, and becoming more economically independent.
The trainees received hands-on training in poultry, piggery, and apiary management, using a value-chain-based approach. Through value-chain-based training, young people are introduced to opportunities that exist beyond primary production, for example, trainees can explore different areas of the value chain, including production, input supply, management, processing, value addition, and marketing.
The training was further strengthened through the involvement of experienced model farmers who shared their knowledge and guided trainees through real-life agricultural practices. This approach enabled young people to connect classroom knowledge with the realities of running successful enterprises.
Reaching Youth Across Western Uganda
The certified youth came from five areas across Western Uganda: Kasese Municipality, Kyegegwa District, Kabarole District, Fort Portal City, and Kasese District.
This regional approach enabled YAWE to reach young people from different communities, including those who may not have had the opportunity to continue with formal education but were passionate about acquiring practical and income-generating skills.
For these young people, vocational education provides an alternative pathway to building meaningful careers. By equipping them with practical competencies, YAWE is helping them turn their interests and abilities into opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship
