MoWT and UNIDO start construction preparation works for Uganda’s first training centre for road construction equipment operators, in Luweero

In order to address the industrial skills gap in Uganda, the Government of Japan, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with technical support from Japanese partner Komatsu Ltd., are building the first dedicated training centre for road construction equipment operators in Uganda.

The land for the training centre in Butuntumula sub-county in Luweero district has been officially handed over to the MoWT this week. The construction preparation works such as the topographic survey were started immediately and a groundbreaking ceremony to start the construction of the centre is expected early next year.

In recent years, the Government has procured road construction and maintenance equipment such as motor graders, wheel loaders, excavators, bulldozers and backhoes and distributed them to District Local Governments across the country. The new training centre will allow to match this investment in road machinery with an equivalent investment in human resources: within the next three years, the training centre will train over 500 Ugandan road equipment trainers, operators and youth seeking employment.

Many companies in the road construction sector hire foreign labour instead of Ugandan youth, as there is no training centre for young Ugandans to receive formal training on road construction equipment so far. The aim of this project is to support the “Uganda Vision 2040” and pave a bright future for Uganda so that young Ugandans can build, maintain, and improve the country’s road infrastructure.