NGOMA District is set to promote vocational training, in part to help tackle the problem of lack of skilled manpower, its mayor has announced.

Francois Ntiyotwagira made the pledge as he visited some vocational schools in the area on Thursday.

He explained that vocational schools would mainly absorb students who are unable to enrol for higher education.
"Shortage of skilled workers is hindering development of small scale industry in our district,” he observed.

Ntiyotwagira said: "We hire labour from Uganda, DRC and other countries to do simple technical operations. It can’t go on like this. We have to employ the right mechanisms to address this skills gap,” he said.

Andre Rugambage, the Director of a Centre de Formation le Routier, a vocational training centre, called for collective efforts to improve the conditions of technical and vocational schools.

"Unlike in the classic education system, many students who graduate from vocational schools easily find jobs; they are also in a better position to become entrepreneurs since they are empowered with hands-on skills. We have every reason to promote this form of education,” he noted.

Albert Ndahayo, 63, a father of six, says vocational skills helped his two children, who had dropped out of school, to get jobs.

The district has established two vocational schools while the rest are privately owned.

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