The rate of youth unemployment in Uganda today is so high and a wide range of research shows that access to adequate livelihood opportunities is one of the most critical issues that youths face and finding the first employment plays an important role in their transition to adulthood.
Uganda’s construction industry on the other hand continues to grapple with the skills gap in the graduates from various universities and technical colleges versus what is expected of them in actual construction works.
It is to this regard that Uganda National Association of Building & Civil Engineering Contractors (UNABCEC) initiated a Graduate Training Program under the “Construction Industry Advancement Program” to offer training opportunities to the final year students and/or fresh graduates of construction and engineering related fields in Uganda.
After a successful completion of the pilot intake of 2019 that saw a number of the applicants taken up and trained by UNABCEC member companies, over 165 applicants have been shortlisted for the second intake. The list is now available with Degree and Diploma holders in the following fields;
- Building and Civil Engineering,
- Construction Management,
- Quantity Surveying/Building Economics,
- Water Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering,
- Automotive and Power Engineering,
- Electrical Engineering, &
- Land Surveying.
Talking to the UNABCEC Executive Director Mrs. Elizabeth Muhebwa while unveiling the shortlist, she said that the program was initiated with an aim of empowering tomorrow’s contractors and building the future for the construction industry. “At UNABCEC, we believe that these early experiences give the graduates an important stepping stone into their career and also help to produce the right professionals needed for growth and development of the construction industry.” She said.
Besides bringing potential candidates closer to employers to save them from the burden of advertising jobs for their companies, the UNABCEC Graduate Training program also helps employers tap into the benefits inherent to the young person, such as greater flexibility and willingness to learn, innovation and energy, higher skills and a greater optimism at no recruitment cost.
Benefits connected to workforce development and growing own workforce, such as enhanced loyalty, reduced turnover, shared organizational culture, attracting talent and preparing for the future as well as benefits that occur through greater workforce diversity, such as insights and connections to the market and customer base.
She appealed to all UNABCEC members, who are by far the best companies with the requisite reputation and experience in building and civil works, and other construction industry players to support the program by offering graduate training opportunities to these candidates.
The database of these applicants is available and regularly updated by the Association’s Secretariat at UMA showgrounds Lugogo and it can also be accessed on Association website www.unabcec.co.ug
