Japan, UN agency to construct training centre in Luwero for handling heavy equipment

The Government of Japan has provided 262 million Japanese Yen (about US$ 2.4 million) grant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as an implementing partner, to construct a training center in Luwero to boost the capacity of heavy equipment operators in Uganda.

The training center aims to empower and train 50 Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) construction equipment instructors; 360 MoWT and local district government construction equipment operators and 80 young Ugandans seeking employment in the industry.

The training center, when completed, will ensure that the training of equipment operators’ efficiencies is optimised and are continuous, thus resulting in the sustainable utilisation of the heavy equipment. UNIDO’s has significant experience in heavy duty/construction equipment, which expertise will be provided in the implementation of this project.

The project will also involve expertise from Japan to establish a new training curriculum and capacity for road construction management and methods, in close collaboration with the project partners like Komatsu Ltd., and the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports.

The government has in the recent past procured units of road construction/maintenance equipment that has been distributed to District Local governments across the country. There is therefore a need to match the investment in road machinery with an equivalent investment in human resources to operate the equipment. UNIDO has the much-needed expertise in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The project will support the Uganda Vision 2040 and in particular focus on bridging the skills gap so that building, maintaining and improving the country’s road infrastructure can be done by skilled Ugandans.

The signing ceremony was attended by project partners, representatives from the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Ministry of Education and Sports, and Foreign Affairs.