Apac, Uganda | Forty young people aged between 18 and 35 years have departed from Apac for Lira City to begin a six-month vocational training programme at the Lango Presidential Zonal Skilling Hub, situated near Lira University.
The group includes 18 girls and 22 boys, specifically 11 girls and 9 boys from Apac District, and 7 girls and 13 boys from Apac Municipality.
They were flagged off on Sunday, 3 August 2025 in a ceremony officiated by Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Apac, Jonal Okot, who represented the Office of the President under the leadership of RDC Andrew Onyuk.
Okot applauded the parents for entrusting the government with their children’s future and thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for what he described as a visionary intervention to support young people who missed out on formal higher education.
He cited challenges such as early pregnancies and influence from negative peer groups, which have hindered many youth from advancing academically.
According to the Office of the President, the selected participants will receive free training in several trades, including carpentry, tailoring, leatherwork, and hairdressing, among others.
The programme is designed to provide market-relevant, hands-on skills under the national Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) framework.
In addition to vocational skills, the youth will undergo sessions in mindset change, financial literacy, and sustainable agriculture.
Okot highlighted the inclusion of modern farming practices such as the Four-Acre Model, which aims to foster household income generation and reduce poverty.
He said that the goal was not merely to train the youths, but to re-orient their thinking and empower them to become productive members of society.
The selection process was community-led, based on information provided by local leaders from various subcounties and divisions across Apac District and Municipality.
It was designed to be inclusive, with no regard to political, religious, or social affiliations.
Among the selected youth are five from ghetto communities, a move Okot said is expected to contribute to crime prevention and social rehabilitation.
He urged the youth to remain focused, disciplined, and committed to the purpose of the training, warning them against deviating from the objectives of the programme.
Okot concluded his address with a prayer for President Museveni’s continued good health and leadership and called on the people of Lango to rally behind the president in the 2026 general elections.
The Lango Presidential Skilling Hub is one of the 19 regional hubs established under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child.
The initiative seeks to address youth unemployment and boost Uganda’s skilled workforce through accessible, practical training.
