The Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba has dispatched its first team of graduates in oil and gas related courses.
The graduates got awarded with certificates that attract international recognition for them to work in the oil and gas sector.
However, the group that totaled up to 141 had only 17 females with the rest being male and the individuals took home diplomas in petroleum studies as well as engineering.
This creates a need to make certain that that the female draw as much interest in this sector which appears to be massively male dominated.
“The graduation list shows that there is need for affirmative action for girls,” said Charles Ntairehoki, the Kirayandongo district chairperson.
The event was presided over by Mrs. Janet Kataha Museveni who congratulated the graduands and acknowledged that the set a pace for technicians in the oil and gas industry.
She also recognized the importance of skills in Uganda as a developing country and added that the attained skills were crucial in the oil and gas industry.
According to Bernard Ongodia, the Principal at UPIK, the students are identified and taken by companies immediately after finishing their studies.
This leads to the accomplishment of some of the institutions goals where by its setup was to serve as a center of excellence for oil and gas training in the country vis a vis to produce oil technicians, oil pipeline welders and other engineering skills for the oil and gas industry.