By Mulengera ReportersThe Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), a government agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, continues to transform the lives of hundreds of Ugandans by offering free hands-on industrial training and apprenticeship-like opportunities aimed at boosting skills development and promoting value addition.
UIRI’s industrial incubation programmes regularly train youths from across the country in practical skills such as wielding, electronics, food processing, machine and metal fabrication. The Institute’s mandate also includes transforming local raw materials into finished products through research, technology acquisition and support for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).
In addition to youth and school leavers who enroll under the community support programme, University students also come to UIRI for internship and skills development. These end up acquiring practical experience to complement on the knowledge acquired through their academic training.
Currently, 11 youth (9 boys and 2 girls) from Iganga District in Busoga are among the hundreds undergoing training at UIRI’s state-of-art workshops and laboratories premised in the Namanve Industrial Park. This group is part of the larger number of trainees the Institute supports throughout the year.
In our interaction with them, the trainees said they learnt about the opportunity through Apostle Bernard Mwebaze, a preacher who visited churches in both Busoga and Kampala. Despite coming from different congregations, they were united by the pastor’s efforts to connect them to the training programme.
The training is free of charge, with trainees only required to pay a small fee to cover protective gear such as helmets, overalls and safety boots. UIRI then provides them with accommodation, meals and medical support during the training period, which always lasts for several months.
Among the trainees is 24-year-old Nicholas Mbooli from Iganga, who joined the Institute less than a month ago to study wielding and fabrication. According to Mbooli, who left school in S.2 due to financial challenges, he previously worked in a wielding workshop in Jinja earning UGX 10,000 daily but lacked the skills to advance.
He told Mulengera News that since joining UIRI, he has learnt how to use wielding equipment professionally and is now capable of completing tasks that he was not able to do before. Mbooli believes that the new skills will enable him to increase his daily earnings to at least UGX 30,000, matching what skilled wielders at the workshop earn.
Marvin Muyinda, 24, also from Iganga, is pursuing electronics training. He holds a certificate in electrical installation but said he had always wanted to work with electronics, a passion he could not follow earlier because his previous institution only offered electrical installation courses. Muyinda was working as a casual labourer in Iganga before joining UIRI.
He told us that hearing about the UIRI programme through Apostle Mwebaze motivated him to pursue his original interest in electronics. Muyinda plans to open a workshop to repair church equipment and household appliances in his home district and the surrounding areas after completing his UIRI training.
Also part of the group is 23-year-old Florence Nanyonjo from Masanafu, Kampala. A Senior Six leaver, she had been helping her mother run a stationery shop before joining UIRI. Florence learnt about the training opportunity when Apostle Mwebaze visited her church.
She told us that her interest in electronics dates back to childhood but she was unable to pursue it earlier due to lack of financial resources. The current hands-on training at UIRI has given her hope of becoming self-reliant and earning an income independently.
At UIRI, the trainees are referred to as “incubatees,” a term that reflects their status as individuals receiving structured, practical training within the Institute’s industrial incubation framework.
Officials say the training is designed not only to provide technical skills but also to empower youth to become self-employed or find formal jobs, thus contributing to Uganda’s industrial development and economic transformation.
UIRI’s programmes support value addition, product development, machine fabrication and technology transfer to SMEs. The Institute remains a key player in Uganda’s industrialisation agenda by promoting practical skills development and innovation.
The current group of trainees is expected to complete the course in two months, but many have expressed their intention to use the skills to open workshops or provide services in their communities.
Trainees praised UIRI for providing free training, accommodation, meals and medical care, which removes major barriers that often prevent youths from sustainbly accessing such opportunities. One trainee told us that the equipment at the Institute is good and that the trainers are committed to ensuring progress, with another saying that joining UIRI had revived her hopes for the future.
Such success stories highlight UIRI’s role in empowering young Ugandans to contribute to the country’s economic growth through skills development and entrepreneurship.
The Institute plans to expand training opportunities to reach more youth and students, supporting the government’s Vision 2040 industrialisation goals by contributing towards building a skilled workforce across the country. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
