The Minister for Trade, Francis Mwebesa has hailed Management Training and Advisory Centre for contributing to the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda by creating a pool of competent human resources needed for the job market.
“The distinctive feature of MTAC is that it provides training to guarantee growth and sustainability of businesses, particularly MSMEs which have high mortality rate and yet they are the backbone of our economy. Apart from other courses in the areas of accounting and finance, management, ICT, procurement and logistics management among others, MTAC has been active in providing vocational training in various fields; such as tailoring, fashion and design, bakery and cookery, hair dressing and Cosmetology, the making of pavers, soap, jelly, candles, reusable sanitary pads, leather goods, etc., even in areas where the organization lacks fully functional outreach centers. These abilities have the capacity to transform jobless people into great entrepreneurs,” Mwebesa said.
Presiding over the MTAC 10th graduation ceremony on Friday, Mwebesa said that since 2023, a total of 7690 youths and women have been equipped with essential skills, including mindset change towards job creation.
Management Training and Advisory Centre (MTAC) is a body corporate under the Ministry Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
The Centre was inaugurated on 14th July 1964 as a project of the Government of Uganda (GOU) that was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the executing agency was the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The successful project was subsequently transformed into the MTAC, which was established by the Management Training and Advisory Centre Act, 1969.
Quoting the tracer Study of 2019, the minister said street vendors who benefited from MTAC training have departed the streets and are producing goods.
He applauded MTAC partners including Girl Forum Initiative (GAFI), Solid Rock Group (SRG), Programme for Access to Child Education (PACE), Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Waste Aid, Uganda Tailors Association (UTA), Uganda Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association (UCIFA), Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA), Microfinance Support Center (MSC), Waste Aid and KACITA Women Entrepreneurs League among others for their support .
“These collaborations underscore the importance of collective action in fostering entrepreneurship for driving sustainable development,“Mwebesa said.
The minister urged the graduands to remain steadfast in their pursuit of excellence and be determined in the face of so many obstacles and temptations.
“Your potential is limitless, and I have every confidence that you will continue to make us proud.”he stressed.
The MTAC Executive Director, Soteri Karanzi Nabeeta said as part of the job creation training program offered at no cost to organized youths and women in all regions of the country, they have been able to train 7690 youths and women.
“The overall purpose for this programme is to enhance the entrepreneurial ability of the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are sensitized about job creation and equipped with skills in making different products including pavers, candles, sanitary pads, exercise books, soap (bar soap and liquid soap), bakery products, saloon products (jelly, shampoo etc), charcoal briquettes among others. This programme also supports organised groups in value addition for instance making wine among others,”Nabeeta said.
He noted that the programme has been widely appreciated by the recipients and the requests from the population for this programme are overwhelming.
“This programme would play a significant role in the realization of planned development through the Parish Development model.”Nabeeta explained.
He however appealed to parliament to allocate at least shs25.8 billion to enable them train at least 100 participates from each constituency in the country to translate into 23,800 entrepreneurs.
