The Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) recently partnered with the Uganda Technical College (UTC) in Bushenyi to host technical staff from 40 manufacturing companies. The tour was aimed at showcasing the college’s capacity to train students with relevant skills for the manufacturing sector and to support overall operations of the sector through machine maintenance and spar part replacement.

Ms. Harriet Tushabe, the Communication Officer at the college, noted that in 2017, the Ugandan Government prioritized skilling through the Uganda Skills Development Programs (USDP). Through this program, the college received funding from the Islamic Development Bank to expand its facilities and install machines that would equip students with work readiness skills.

UTC-Bushenyi’s state-of-the-art manufacturing training facility offers machinery maintenance and precision machining services to manufacturing companies. This has been made possible with fully-stocked manufacturing workshops for industrial metal fabrication, industrial maintenance operations, and industrial manufacturing operations. Departments at the college include; water engineering department, the electronics laboratory, the mechanical section (automotive), and furniture and joinery.

UMA’s Manager, Training and Projects, Mr. Joseph Kyalimpa, thanked the UTC management and representatives from different manufacturing companies for honoring UMA’s invitation to tour the college facilities. He said the feedback given will inform future prospects for making UTC-Bushenyi the optimal center of excellence for manufacturing in Uganda and East Africa.

Mr. Sam Bugweri, the Principal of the college emphasized the importance of maintenance of machines and said the college’s policy is to re-tool its facilitators and trainers and the college will take note of the valuable feedback to improve the maintenance of the machines.

On behalf of UTC, the Principal pledged total commitment to working with the manufacturing fraternity to not only train students with relevant work-readiness skills, but to also support operations of manufacturing processes through machine maintenance, spare parts replacement and refresher courses to staff. “UMA and UTC’s partnership is a step towards sustainable training by involving technical people in the world of work.” He added.

The technical representatives who toured the center of manufacturing excellence at the Uganda Technical College (UTC) in Bushenyi provided feedback on their visit. They praised the college’s new and advanced machines, which they noted will make their work easier. Some of the representatives specifically mentioned that the machines will help their companies to take on more work and improve performance of their staff.

However, some of the representatives also noted the need for a maintenance department to manage spares and maintenance of the machines at the college. They also highlighted the importance of safety, and suggested that the college should teach students how to produce and assemble parts used in the machines, as well as how to operate and maintain the machines.

In general, the technical representatives were impressed with the college’s facilities and equipment, and praised the college for providing hands-on skills training to students. They also noted that the center of manufacturing excellence will help to address unemployment among the young generation.