Manufacturing professionals can be found in many industries from food to textiles to equipment, furniture, electronics and many more. The duties of manufacturing jobs vary, with some people assembling goods, some painting, upholstering, others covering merchandise and others involved in quality control, inspection of products for any flaws and making sure that the goods meet set standards. Manufacturing professionals are highly skilled, mission-critical employees in an area where time is money.

MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRY

The Manufacturing and industry career field is one of the growing employment spaces in Uganda. The contribution of the industrial sector to the country’s GDP has fluctuated between 23% and 27% over the last decade, while that of manufacturing average only about 7%, according to an African Development Bank (ADB) analysis (2014). Labour in this sector, according to Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), is through internship. Most of the interns that exhibit outstanding potential are retained.

According to African Development Bank sector review, the manufacturing sector in Uganda employs 630,000 people, representing about 6% of total employment for both registered businesses and the informal sector. A total of 139,097 are employed in registered businesses, accounting for about 22% of the total number employed in Uganda’s manufacturing sector.

According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), food processing has on average contributed over 45% of employment in the manufacturing sector annually since 2000. Other sub-sectors such as textiles, clothing and footwear are also key sources of employment in Uganda.

FUTURE JOBS               

The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports, Career Guidance Handbook shows the following jobs in this career field;

  • Robotics Engineer
  • Quality Engineer
  • Production Engineer
  • Operation Engineer
  • Glass Blower
  • Mill Wright
  • Steel Metal Worker, among others.

SKILLS

Here are some of the skills needed to thrive in this career field;

  • Communication skills to work with team members and clients from all backgrounds, as well as follow and deliver instructions.
  • Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to identify when certain processes are not working well and why.
  • Analytical skills to figure out how systems work and how certain aspects of working conditions, operations, and environment may affect the outcome of projects.
  • Math skills to analyze, design, and troubleshoot work.
  • Computer application experience to effectively use computers that work with CAD/CAM technology, CNC machine tools, and computerized measuring machines.
  • Mechanical and technical skills to safely operate specialized machinery such as drill presses and milling machines, as well as properly handle metalworking or other complicated processes.
  • Manual ability is also essential for many manufacturing jobs involving hands-on production and accuracy.

COURSES

These are some of the fields of study to enroll for;

COURSE ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS

To get into the courses above, these are some of the schemes you can apply through;

  • Direct Entry; the candidates should have a minimum of two (2) principle passes in all A ‘level subjects obtained at the same sitting or its equivalent in relevant subjects.
  • Diploma entry scheme; the candidate should hold a relevant diploma in course.
  • Mature age entry scheme; the candidate should have a pass in the mature age entry examinations with at least 50% and must be 25 years and above with a certificate or diploma in any course.

NOTE: Candidates who have obtained at least one (1) principle pass or its equivalent in relevant subjects can apply for diploma and certificate programmes. For certificate courses, candidates must have attained a minimum of 5 credits at O ‘level.

(SOURCES: The New Vision newspaper university guide, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports, Career Guidance Handbook, and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics)