By Our Reporter, Geita
Young people who struggled in their Form Four and Form Six examinations could get a new route into the mining industry under a planned training programme between BUCREEF Gold Company (BGC) and the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA).
The initiative will identify young people from communities surrounding the Katoro-based mine and support them to pursue vocational training before giving them opportunities for practical training at the mine.
BUCREEF General Manager Isaac Bisansaba said the company had already begun identifying potential beneficiaries, including young people who did not achieve strong examination results but could develop practical skills through vocational education.
“We have already started the process of identifying young people who completed Form Six, Form Four and even those who did not perform well enough to join us, so that we can help them enrol at VETA colleges and pay part of their training costs before giving them opportunities for practical training at our mine,” Mr Bisansaba said.
The initiative is part of wider cooperation between BUCREEF and VETA aimed at addressing skills needs in the mining industry while expanding opportunities for young people living around mining operations.
Speaking during a meeting at the company's premises in Katoro on October 1, 2026, VETA Northern Zone Manager Monica Mbelle said the authority wanted students to gain practical exposure to mining operations alongside their classroom training.
“We have discussed with BUCREEF management how we can collaborate, starting with bringing our students studying different fields at VETA colleges so they can undertake practical training,” Ms Mbelle said.
She said workplace training would help students strengthen their technical skills and gain experience relevant to the jobs available in the mining sector.
The cooperation will also cover VETA instructors, with Ms Mbelle saying the authority was seeking opportunities for trainers to receive additional exposure to modern mining technologies.
She said rapid technological changes in the industry meant trainers needed to continuously update their skills so that the training offered at VETA colleges reflected current labour-market requirements.
Beyond students already enrolled in vocational colleges, Ms Mbelle said the programme would target young people living in communities around the mine.
She said BUCREEF would support training programmes for local residents, while VETA would design courses based on the skills required by the communities and the mining industry.
“BUCREEF has seen that VETA can provide skills to young people in these areas, and we have seen how we can develop programmes to help youth living around the mine acquire skills in different fields,” she said.
The planned programme offers an alternative pathway for young people whose academic performance may limit access to conventional higher education, while giving the mining company access to a pool of locally trained workers.
For Geita communities, the focus on vocational skills could also provide a more direct link between mining activity and employment opportunities for local residents, particularly in technical occupations that require practical training.