The Community Based Vocational Skills Program is based on a mentorship model in which young people are mentored not only in technical skills but also in business, customer relations, and problem-solving skills while receiving vocational skills training from one of the trainers, animators, or artisans in their communities.
Learners are paired with skilled local artisans and given occupational training in areas such as carpentry, metal fabrication and welding, bricklaying and concrete practice, tailoring, catering, bakery, hairdressing, motor vehicle mechanics, soap making, knitting and weaving, and agro-based value addition. The goal is to reduce Uganda’s high young unemployment rate in remote, hard-to-reach communities. We also train vulnerable women and youth in better empowerment practices through their small village self-help groups. Through this they earn an earnest living and are in position to pay school fees and attain other needs.