About 80% of graduates from Uganda's National Apprenticeship Programme have found jobs in the organisations where they trained, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development said. The scheme, launched in 2018, was designed to tackle youth unemployment by giving university and other tertiary graduates practical skills and workplace experience to make them more competitive when seeking employment.
State Minister for Labour Simon Mulongo told 500 beneficiaries selected for this year's intake that many graduates struggle to find work despite having academic qualifications because they lack the hands-on experience employers require. He explained that the apprenticeship programme closes this gap by letting young people put classroom knowledge into practice while gaining real experience in their professional fields. The Government allocates approximately Shs3 billion each year to run the initiative, which covers preparing beneficiaries, monitoring trainees in their placements and paying allowances during the apprenticeship period.
Isaac Rubagumya, an official at the ministry, said several factors continue to stop qualified graduates from accessing available jobs. He outlined how the programme selects applicants by assessing them and matching them with organisations that can provide relevant workplace experience. The selection process is designed to overcome one of the main barriers facing new graduates: the requirement that candidates have prior work experience, which puts those entering the labour market for the first time at a disadvantage.
Previous beneficiaries of the scheme said it had helped them gain workplace experience, improve their professional skills and increase their chances of securing employment. They recounted the difficulties they encountered searching for jobs after finishing their studies, highlighting how the practical training had made a difference to their prospects. The 80% employment rate demonstrates the value of workplace-based training in helping graduates move from formal education into employment, particularly in a labour market where employers increasingly demand practical experience alongside academic credentials.