Jonard Asiimwe, one of the newly appointed trustees of the Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers Union, has called for greater involvement of youth and women in the country’s production processes, saying their participation is key to accelerating Uganda’s economic growth.
Speaking during a ceremony held in Seguku on Tuesday morning, Asiimwe emphasized that “workers are the engines of any economy,” noting that Uganda’s youthful population provides a unique opportunity to transform the nation’s productivity.
“The population of Uganda is dominated by the youth. If we involve the youth and women, we will ignite production and outcompete consumption. If youth and women are part of the production cycle, the country will grow at a very high rate,” Asiimwe stated.
He further urged fellow workers to focus not only on salary increments but also on productivity and innovation, stressing that while the government is working to improve workers’ welfare, individual and collective output must also increase.
“The government is working to increase workers' salaries, but we, as workers, should mind about our output — our production as a country,” he said.
Drawing lessons from China, Asiimwe highlighted how the Asian nation’s emphasis on technical and vocational education has driven its industrial and economic transformation.
“In China, it’s the technical and vocational approach to education that has improved their production. If we come up with feasible proposals and ideas that can improve the quality of education and production, we are building a country,” he noted.
Asiimwe also called for a mindset shift among Ugandan workers and institutions, urging them to embrace innovation and creativity as the nation advances towards middle-income status.
“As we take a qualitative leap into middle-income status, we need disruptive ideas that will replace the traditional ways of doing things. This is what the government of President Museveni is doing; this is what we should be doing,” he concluded.
The event brought together members of the Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers Union, who discussed strategies to strengthen the role of technical and vocational education in national development.
