A total of 260 students yesterday graduated in Electrical and Automobile Mechanics from the Samuduha Integrated College (SICO) in Kicukiro district.  

Some of the graduates had completed their studies at the college as early as 2005.

According to the principal, David Rugamba, the College was established by the Government as an alternative to traditional institutions of higher learning for people who wish to develop skills and knowledge of immediate relevance to the job market.

"This College was started as a technical school by the Ministry of Education offering studies up to the level of A3, in 2003 we started to offer A2 (A’ level),” said Rugamba.

He added that colleges like SICO were very important in the country’s development, adding that graduates in technical studies are in high demand on the labour market.

"By the time our students finish their courses, big institutions are already asking us to send them employees, which shows the demand you have on the job market,” Rugamba told the graduates.

Speaking at the function, the education officer of Kigali City Council, Ruth Mukakimenyi, said that the increasing number of people in the technical field will help save the country from using the services of expatriates who demand a lot of money.

In an interview, one of the graduates, Chantal Uwamahoro, encouraged her fellow girls to take up technical courses since there is nothing their counterparts (boys) can do that they can’t.

"I call upon the girls to take up technical courses because they can make it like I have made it. There is nothing difficult in this course that you cannot do,” she said.
The school currently has 563 students.

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