Five higher institutions of learning have partnered with Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park to equip science students with practical skills for employment and innovation.
The institutions are Busitema University, Kyambogo University, Sogavi College of Technology Kumi, Uganda Technical College Elgon (UTC Elgon) and Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU).
The first group of students admitted to the park are pursuing programmes in civil, mechanical, electrical, refrigeration, and cement engineering.
The Mbale-Sino Industrial Park, which was commissioned in 2018 with a total investment portfolio of $600m (Shs2.2 trillion), sits on 619 acres. It currently hosts 85 factories producing glass, textiles, household detergents, mobile phones, smart televisions, baby diapers, clothes, LED bulbs, tubes, electrical meters and socks, among others. The park employs over 14,000 skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
Ms Linus Nasimiyu, the Principal Education Officer for Mbale City, said on Sunday that the internship programme will help institutions produce more competitive graduates.
‘The collaboration is giving students access to modern equipment, research facilities and opportunities to develop solutions to community and industrial challenges,’ Ms Nasimiyu said.
Mr Siraji Mukhwana, the Dean of Students at IUIU, said students need practical experience to complement classroom theory.
‘ýThis program will improve skills, increase employment prospects and also encourage students to become innovators and entrepreneurs,’ he said.
Mr Laurent Zhang, the administration manager at Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, said over 100 students from the benefiting institutions have already started hands-on training in different factories.
He said the program is aimed at three goals: creating jobs by enabling more Ugandan youth to find decent work close to home, developing talent by passing advanced technology and management expertise to the younger generation, and technology transfer by transforming classroom knowledge into production skills.
‘We will deepen school-industry collaboration, expand the internship program, continue providing employment opportunities for outstanding interns hence creating a seamless transition from internship to employment,’ Mr Zhang said.
Mr Shen Xingying, Director of Timber Paper Industries, said students will get mentorship through open access to facilities and technology.
‘They should treat an internship as the starting point of your career, not a temporary arrangement. The science students are the protagonists of Uganda’s industrialization,’ Mr Shen said.
Mr Abdallah Sharaf, the Deputy Mayor of Mbale City, applauded the park for the opportunity and tasked students to do their best as they transition from school to the job market.