By Our Staff Reporter

KAMPALA,UGANDA — August 13, 2026
A total of 350 young people have enrolled for a six-month free vocational skills training programme at the Subway Skilling Centre in Kampala under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child (PISGBC).

The students, who form the centre’s eighth cohort, are being trained in four vocational disciplines: bakery, weaving, knitting and shoemaking.

The initiative, established by State House in 2017 under the directive of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, targets disadvantaged young people, including school dropouts and youths from vulnerable communities, with the aim of equipping them with practical skills for self-employment and improved livelihoods.

According to the centre’s Supervisor, Katushabe Stellamaris, the programme gives young people an opportunity to acquire skills that can help them rebuild their lives and become economically independent.

“We target the unprivileged students, including those from the ghettos and school dropouts. Our aim is to give them a second chance so that they can live better and happier lives,” Katushabe said.

To support the students during the training period, the centre provides breakfast and lunch, allowing them to concentrate on their studies without the additional burden of meals.

At the end of the six-month programme, the trainees will undergo assessment by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) before they graduate.

The graduates will then be encouraged to apply their newly acquired skills by starting small businesses or seeking employment opportunities in their respective fields.

The Administrator of Subway Skilling Centre, Ronah Kamahoro Natukunda, said the centre has the capacity to train only 350 students at a time because of limited space.

She appealed for additional space and facilities to enable the centre to increase the number of young people benefiting from the programme.

Natukunda also noted that the skilling initiative has changed the lives of many young people who have passed through the centre, with some graduates going on to establish their own businesses.

She commended President Museveni for supporting disadvantaged youth and creating opportunities for young people who had previously struggled to find a path towards self-reliance.

“Many people have reformed and are now doing well because of these opportunities. We thank the President for helping the needy and those who had lost hope in life,” she said.

The newly enrolled students welcomed the opportunity, saying the vocational skills would help them become self-reliant and improve their livelihoods after completing the course.

The Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child is one of the government-supported programmes aimed at addressing unemployment and poverty among young people by providing free practical vocational training to disadvantaged youth.

With increased demand for vocational skills training, the call for more space and facilities at the Subway Skilling Centre highlights the need to expand such programmes so that more young Ugandans can benefit.