Hima Cement Limited (Tororo Grinding Station) and the Safal Uganda Baati Foundation (SUBF) have entered into a partnership to provide vocational skills training to vulnerable, out-of-school youth in Nyangole Sub-county, Tororo District.
Under the partnership, Hima Cement Limited’s Tororo Grinding Station will work with Tororo District Local Government through Nyangole Sub-county to profile, select and prioritise 30 of the most vulnerable out-of-school young men and women for comprehensive technical training at the Safal Uganda Baati Technical Training Institute (SUBTTI).
The initiative is designed to enhance employability and promote sustainable socio-economic development in the region.
The training is scheduled to commence in late 2026 and run through 2027. Upon completion, graduates will receive career guidance and placement support to facilitate a smooth transition into professional life.
As part of its commitment to community development under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pillar, Hima Cement Limited (Tororo Grinding Station) will sponsor the students’ tuition, scholastic materials, accommodation, meals, uniforms and Uganda Vocational Qualifications and Assessment Board (UVQAB) assessments.
In addition to providing high-quality training, the Safal Uganda Baati Foundation will provide all necessary training materials for the selected beneficiaries.
“Through this partnership, Hima Cement aims to make a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged youth in Tororo District, aligning with our commitment to community development and sustainability,” said Sushil Kumar Kulshrestha, General Manager of Hima Cement Limited, Tororo Grinding Station.
The nine-month training programme, which includes six weeks of industrial training and internship, will offer Modular National Certifications (TVET/UVQAB) in several marketable trades, including:
Automotive Mechanics
Building and Concrete Practice
Fashion and Design
Cosmetology
Welding and Metal Fabrication
Digital Literacy
The programme will also include supplementary training in:
Business Skills and Financial Literacy
Languages, including Kiswahili, English, and Mathematics.
Beyond technical skills, the curriculum will include life-skills sessions on Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC). These sessions will focus on essential areas such as confidence building, financial management and health awareness, including HIV prevention and management and the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
George Mubiru, Head of the Safal Uganda Baati Foundation, welcomed the partnership, saying the initiative would help disadvantaged young people develop resilience while equipping them with skills needed to succeed in the workforce.
“Our objective is to deliver high-quality, subsidised vocational education that empowers disadvantaged young people to develop resilience against social and health challenges, while equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in the workforce.
This partnership with Hima Cement Limited aligns with our mission and will amplify our efforts to enhance youth employability in Uganda, supporting the government’s agenda of creating meaningful opportunities for young people,” Mubiru said.
He added: “We appreciate Hima Cement Limited’s visionary approach in targeting the right beneficiaries and collaborating with us to transform the lives of vulnerable youth and their families.”
Findings from the Labour Market Survey 2025 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicate that employers in formal businesses cited the non-availability of required skilled workers as one of the primary reasons for more than 16,000 job vacancies remaining unfilled.
The report also indicates a higher unemployment rate among young people compared with the general working-age population, whose unemployment rate stands at 12.2% among people aged 15 and above. At regional level, the Bukedi sub-region recorded the highest youth unemployment rates, at 37.1% among those aged 15–24 and 33.8% among those aged 18–30.
A significant proportion of Uganda’s youth workforce is engaged in the informal sector, where skills gaps remain a challenge. The survey indicates that most working youth are employed in the informal sector, excluding agriculture, forestry and fishing, accounting for 95.1% of working youth aged 15–24 and 91.5% of those aged 18–30.
