Embrace modularised skills training

May 02, 2018

A learner can choose to concentrate on training in the module of motor vehicle spraying or wiring instead of studying the entire motor vehicle mechanics.


By Grace Nambogo

In 2010 President Yoweri Museveni came up with a presidential initiative and this was to ensure that the unemployed youth acquire skills for employment and self-reliance. A fully sponsored skills training programme was set up in the Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) department under the Ministry of Education and Sports to offer modularised vocational training to equip the youth with practical skills as a remedy to youth unemployment in the country.

In this programme, the learner only concentrates on a particular aspect (module) with the occupation which he/she is passionate about; for example, instead of spending two years training to be a motor vehicle mechanic, one can choose to concentrate on training in the module of motor vehicle spraying, motor vehicle wiring or servicing a motor vehicle engine.

Training normally takes three to six months and emphasis is put on performance (practicals) for the world of work rather than academic theories. After training the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) comes on board to conduct occupational competence-based assessment for quality assurance and successful candidates are awarded modular transcripts which affirm that the individual is competent in performing the skills they acquired in their relevant modules.

Statistics available in the Ministry of Education and Sports indicate that so far 98,799 trainees have benefited from this initiative and they are now engaged productively in the world of work. The programme has gained popularity because it is non-discriminative; all individuals who wish to learn quick specialised skills regardless of the education background have come on board.

Skills training providers, politicians and development partners who seek to empower special interest groups with relevant skills have particularly embraced this programme because it yields immediate results as many artisans are rolled out in the world of work in the short run. Other benefits of modularised skills training are here below;

Flexibility: The learning environment for this training is not restricted to only formal school setting; since the program puts emphasis on perfecting skills for the world of work, learners train from anywhere ranging from; bakeries, garages, salons, workshops as well as skills training institutions. There is also flexibility of the language; unlike in the formal education setting where the English language takes prominence, here the instructor uses the language preferred by the learner, and when it comes to assessment, the same applies. There is also no gazetted training season for this program; learners enroll from anywhere at any time and assessment is conducted throughout the year as learners roll out.
 
The Modular Transcript which is attained after training provides a path way to formal vocational education and training: After being certified for at least four modules within occupation, individuals who never got a chance to go to school now get a chance to enroll into formal vocational institutes study the full occupation at level I, after which they rise to higher levels within the same occupation.
 
Cost Effective: A six months training program is cheaper compared a two year training program in terms of time and other resources.
What began as a presidential initiative to reach out to the unemployed youth, the modularized skill training has turned out to be a fully-fledged skills training program which is very popular in training institutions and Enterprises across the country. The proof for this is the thousands of artisans who register for monthly modular assessment conducted by DIT. For example, in the month of April 2018 alone, a total of 1,362 trainees have undergone modular assessment from various centres across the country and all these are on private sponsorship. 

The general appeal is now to the youth, sponsors and skills training facilities to embrace modularized skills training so that many Ugandans can realize self-reliance in the short run.

The writer is the public relations officer for the Directorate of Industrial Training, Lugogo

 

 

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