Incubation centre to train mechanics

The Private Sector Federation (PSF) plans to set up a mechanical incubation to narrow or close the skills gap in the automobiles repair business.Gerald Mukubu, Director of Advocacy at PSF, announced the plans on Tuesday during a meeting of the Rwanda Garages Association in Kigali.“We want to enhance the capacity of mechanics to a level they can be able to solve specific issues,” he said.He noted that the centre which will be furnished with modern equipment will give an opportunity to mechanics to match with the current technology development.Statistics indicate that by last year, over 70,000 automobiles and motorcycles were on Rwandan roads, implying there is need to professionalise the mechanics business.According to Mukubu, the incubation centre will help mechanics have on-the-job training to meet the increasing demand for specialised mechanics.The centre, that will be set up by PSF and run by a private investor, will require one to register and pay a fee to access a wide range of services, including practical training, and business management. “Most of the mechanics in garages are not professionally trained and unless we help them upgrade their skills we will still have a problem,” Assumani Hakizimana, an expert for Private Sector Skills Development at GIZ, said. Jacques Niyonsenga, a mechanic, hailed the development noting that increasing skills will help mechanics who never went to school also tackle mechanical problems that would require modern technology and, thus, earn more money from their trade. PSF, GIZ and Workforce Development Agency (WDA)have embarked on technical skills development to provide enough labour to sustain the country’s manufacturing/industry sector growth that currently stands at 5 percent. Hakizimana observed that skills development will produce professional mechanics and increase employment levels, especially for the youth.“The market is there but we don’t have people to serve it,” he said.Paul Padua, president of Rwanda Garages Association, said despite the contribution of mechanics to the development of the country, they have been neglected making garages appear like dumping grounds for failures.“We are not considered in city plans which have made us fail to have a permanent place to work from,” he stated, in reference to recent relocation of garages by city authorities, which, he said, has affected their business turnovers. dias.

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Incubation centre to train mechanics