Former Obama’s Aide Commends Museveni on Skills Training to Fight Youth Unemployment

David Anderson, the former Advance and Presidential Personnel to the US President Barack Obama has commended President Museveni for encouraging skills training and vocation training among youths as a way of reducing the unemployment levels in the country.

A few years back, President Museveni launched the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl Child and he has since boosted it by offering start up capital and training to boys who work in Washing bays, Welding, carpentry workshops, Garages among others.

Mr. Anderson who is also the CEO of Anderson Royal Industries an American based private and public holdings company is in the country for a business tour and has noted that skills training is the way to go if you Uganda is to defeat unemployment among youths. The global business economist said that world over, there is increasing youth unemployment given the fact that a few youth have the needed employment skills which can only be acquired through vocation training.

“As Entrepreneurs and government, we should work to ensure that we build bridges that will help young people acquire the necessary skills and work competence so that the labour force can acquire them and get a good return on investment,” Anderson said. Anderson said that this can be achieved by encouraging the young people to join vocational training so as to acquire skills and practical knowledge before they venture into employment.

“I at this time appreciate the efforts by President Museveni to train the youth into several vocational ventures such as tailoring, shoes making, hairdressing among others. This is the way to go, even USA has resorted to the same,” Anderson noted. He observed that Uganda is still growing and it’s upon it’s young people to work towards building the country.

On the other hand, Anderson revealed that he will be taking up investment in the Agriculture sector by boosting agro-processing and value addition.

“We have got a range of businesses dealing in Software Technology, Real Estate, Commodities Trading, Logistics, Advanced Medical Technology and Virtual Education and we would wish to establish the same in Uganda,” Anderson said.

He noted that, “To begin with, we shall take up investment in the Agriculture sector by engaging in Agro-processing and Value addition as well as Real Estate. For the start, we are looking at invest between $10m to $20m for a period of five years.”

He as well appreciated the Managing Director, East African Partners, Isaac Kigozi for ushering him into the country has well as championing the call to Afro Americans to return and take up investment in Uganda and the entire region.