Africa-Press – Uganda. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), in partnership with its Electrical, Instrumentation, Telecommunication, and Security Systems contractor Schneider Electric Uganda, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nakawa Vocational Training College (NVTC) to equip students and lecturers with hands-on skills in electrical and telecommunication engineering.
The partnership is designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry demands, offering practical training in areas such as electrical systems, industrial automation, and project management—key competencies needed in Uganda’s rapidly expanding oil and gas industry.
The MoU signing ceremony, held at Nakawa Vocational Training College, reaffirmed EACOP’s commitment to nurturing a skilled local workforce capable of supporting major infrastructure projects such as the construction of Uganda’s crude oil export pipeline.
Natasha Kassami, EACOP’s National Content Capacity Building Lead, said the collaboration will enable the institution to transfer industry-relevant skills to students and lecturers, positioning them to benefit from employment opportunities in the oil and gas value chain.
“This partnership will yield a lot of work for many graduate trainees on the EACOP project. We have just recently offered graduate training to over 100 graduates, which may turn into job opportunities,” said Kassami. “It presents an opportunity for students to turn theory into practice through internship placements, helping them to easily transition into the professional field.”
Patrick Asiimwe, Dean of Training at NVTC, hailed the collaboration as a key milestone in tackling youth unemployment and promoting technical excellence.
“Our students will now have opportunities to apply the skills they learn in class. Those who excel stand a good chance of being absorbed into the industry,” Asiimwe said.
Joshua Habwe, General Manager of Schneider Electric Uganda, emphasized that the partnership will empower both trainees and trainers by providing access to modern training equipment and enhancing institutional capacity.
“We are investing in local skills development by training young Ugandans and lecturers, and by providing modern training equipment to support the learning process. Nakawa Institute is our starting point, and we plan to extend similar partnerships to other institutions across the country,” Habwe noted.
The initiative forms part of EACOP’s National Content and Capacity Building Programme, which focuses on developing Ugandan talent to ensure that local communities benefit directly from the opportunities created by the country’s oil and gas sector.
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