COVID-19: World Bank aids artisans' visibility

The global invasion by the COVID-19 pandemic has left many people unemployed but has also led some out of their comfort zones to think outside the box so as to escape the disruptions.

With the help of the World Bank, the private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) has sourced for an App that would help connect certified artisans and labour contractors with clients. The certified labour included bricklayers (masons), auto-mechanics, plumbers, carpenters and cooks.

It will also assist skilled and experienced individuals to obtain a nationally recognised qualification. The App is also expected to help in identifying the training needs of individual artisans so as to develop them.

The App was developed under Mason's Ranking and Certification (TMRAC) Ranking and Certification Project, a skills development facility project of the PSFU.

The technology was sourced through the Maganjo Institute of Career Education and partners.

According to Christopher Semanda, the project manager, the App is intended to promote recognition of prior learning among artisans and independent labour contractors.

"This e-platform manages the records system for online assessment and a workforce database for workers across a broad spectrum.

He said Ugandan certified artisans can access contracts or clients across the world.

"People across the World can take advantage of our screening protocols to verify the authenticity of people they want to hire," Semanda explained.

He said the platform also helps to assess candidates remotely.

"We have mobilisation centres hosted online so that they do not have to travel to be assessed. Assessors can log on to the platform and engage the candidate doing practice on the site. The assessor enters results of the assessment and makes a report about the candidate," Semanda added.

He said the system produces two reports, one for the skills gap after the assessment and another, which shows what the candidate is able to do to guide the next training intervention.

This, Semanda said, helps in targeting the training depending on what the candidate needs.

He said the system allows different institutions to do assessment and also give exposure to their candidates.

"You will clearly know that this person seeking for a job from me is either certified or not. You can also know their ranking, weather they are in a junior category or a senior category," he said.

Ann Kajumba a grant specialist at SDF explained that the Maganjo Institute of Career Education received a grant of sh429m to implement skilling and certifying of different technicians in the four regions of Uganda to enhance employability.

"They are supposed to certify 700 masons in building and construction and we have given them sh172m for the first phase of implementation.

Since October last year, they have trained, assessed and certified 114 masons who have already been certified by the directorate of industrial training (DIT).

"The institute was also supposed to create a database for all those that have been certified in the different categories, assess them and get certified by DIT," Kajumba explained.

She observed that Uganda's economy is majorly supported by the informal sector where most people attain skills without formal training.

"These people would be reassessed and retrained so that they can be certified and can, therefore, access jobs easily," Kajumba said.

She added that those who would want to improve their career in terms of education can easily present their certificate to any vocational institution to guide where to upgrade from.

One of the areas of interest is the oil and gas sector since it has set standards for categories of workers.

"We hope by having the proper certification, such people will be absorbed in the oil and gas sector," she said.

Ernest Bitamburirwa, one of the beneficiaries, said the project helped him in building confidence. He said he now demands written contracts from clients to avoid being cheated.