Mbale, Uganda | URN | The Uganda Luban workshop has been launched in Mbale, the eastern part of the country to enhance industrial skills training for the youth. This is the sixth workshop out of the 10 that the Chinese government plans to construct in Africa.
The first Luban workshop was launched in Djibouti. The establishment of the workshops is part of the capacity building initiative that China made during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit.
“It is our strong belief that with the commissioning of the Luban workshop today (Thursday 10th), it will definitely help enhance the skills transfer and capacity building in job creation,” Zheng Zhuqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Uganda said.
The workshop will be hosted by the Uganda Technical College-Elgon in Mbale and will at the initial stage offer courses which include Urban Rail Transit Traffic Management, Urban Rail Transit Vehicles, and Railway Bridges and Tunnels, electronics, power mechanisms, and telecommunications.
The Minister of Technology, Science and Innovation, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye said the facility will help in improving the skills of unemployed young people.
Tumwesigye thanked the Chinese government for the opportunity given to the Elgon Technical College to host the workshop, saying it will contribute immensely to strengthening the college’s opportunities.
Paul Mulima, the Principal of Uganda Technical College said that since the youth are the targeted beneficiaries of the Luban workshop program, it will contribute to the economic advancement of the country.
Speaking from China, Cao Xiaohong, vice mayor of Tianjin municipality, which supported the establishment of the Luban workshop project in Uganda, said the workshop will be a new bridge connecting China-Uganda vocational education community.
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“We would like to constantly cooperate and work with Uganda in all the different aspects in order to bring benefits for the two countries and the people of our two countries,” Cao said.
Kyle Feng, the administrator manager of Mbale Sino Uganda Industrial Park said that the workshop will help to produce skilled labour. He added that the machines that the Chinese have donated to Uganda Technical Institute are modernized and will help students to learn new technologies.
