A target of skilling at least 300 female middle level managers drawn from different solar companies in Uganda will be meet before end of year, according to the sub sector highlights.

This particular component encompasses building their capacity in entrepreneurship skills and business management, business models for decentralised solar management, financial management and bookkeeping.

The programme is being delivered under the Beyond Grid Fund for Africa job creation and skills programme in Uganda.

It is targeted at energy service providers supporting the creation of local jobs and in particular women participation in the off-grid energy sector.

It is being delivered jointly under the renewables academy and Sendea Uganda.

“ The growth of the solar sub-sector at 38% and far above the grid connections across the country, implies that the growth prospectus for remains high,” Eng. Loy Kyozaire, the CEO of Sendea stated.

Speaking during the closure of the week long job creation and skills programme conducted at the Ndere Centre in Kampala, Kyozaire, urged the middle level management trainees to transfer the knowledge acquired back into their business for sustainable growth.

“The business opportunities are diverse, beyond solar pickle units for lighting to productive usage such as dryers and coolers for agricultural products, milling machines for value addition,” Kyozaire urged.

According to a cross section of the trainee such as Brenda.Mutalaza .., the skills programme which is acknowledging “the role of women in the solar energy landscape the business model and value proposition including inventory and book keeping was useful.”

Nancy Muwhezi, from d-light, said she had “obtained new knowledge for undertaking a comprehensive review of an off-grid business. The skillson risk management aspect within the solar energy sector are also useful.”

At least 300 women are targeted for training.

According to Claire Kagga, a training consultant on Gender inclusion within the solar energy sector, observed that the “the participants demonstrated practical pitching skills for donor funding, which is very important for scaling investee financing for projects in the renewable energy business.”

The female trainees also saluted the on-going “networking within the sub sector, suggesting that more of the training in business compliance including around taxation which is critical needs to be undertaken.”