APPLICATION FOR VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING FUNDS
Applicant’s contact details for the purpose of this action
Title of the Action / Empower 300 Youth With Vocational SkillsName of the applicant / Solace Human Integrated Development Agency (SHIDA)
Location of the applicant / Bugaggamanyi Zone-Kinoni Parish
Nationality of the applicant / Ugandan
Postal Address / P.O.Box 1104, Masaka, Uganda
Legal Status / Uganda Community Based Organization
Certificate Number / CD/LDLG/1700
Telephone Numbers / +256(0) 772-387219/ +256(0) 772-570832
Contact person for this action / Milly Nabankema
Organization’s email /
Address / P.O. Box 1104, Masaka, Uganda
Personal email /
PROPOSAL
Summary of the Action:
Title of the action / Empower 300 Youth With Vocational SkillsLocation(s )for the action / Bugaggamanyi Zone-Kinoni Parish
Total duration of the action / 2 Years- (24 months)
Total budget / $38,085
Objectives of the action / Overall objective: To contribute to poverty reduction through innovative vocational skills in Tailoring, Hairdressing and Leather Work Technology.
Specific objective: Design and implement a model for skills development and accreditation of acquired skills through the Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS), in line with the World of Work and priorities of the community within the location of the action
Target group(s) / Youth
Final beneficiaries / Training Institutions, World of work
Estimated results / Result 1:
70% of the trainees get employment/self employment as a result of relevant vocational skills training
Result 2:
Quality Skills Development Networks formed amongst Trainees, Training Institutions and the World of Work.
Result 3:
300 people accredited with Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS) after successful and assessment of the training.
Main Activities / · Continuous area studies for project set up, monitoring purposes and collecting data such as labour market studies, sector studies and demands
· Building of one administration block and four rooms
· Purchase machines, tools and related materials related to the skills to be trained
· Purchase of Assessment and Training Packages(ATPs) from Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) under the Ministry of Education (MoES).
· Training the target groups.
· Promotion of vocational skills training and sensitization of all stakeholders.
· Linkage of the trainees to the World of Work.
1.2 Relevance of the action:
1.2.1 Relevance to the objectives
Vocational training that is designed without understanding local labour market factors potentially cultivates expectations that cannot later be met, leading to frustration as the skills trainees learn do not necessarily lead to employment opportunities. A survey that was conducted by SHIDA found that there is a “sharp disconnect between training programmes for youth and subsequent employment or income generation in Lwengo district.
Another major problem is the poor perception of vocational training in Uganda with most believing that vocational training is only for persons who failed education. Subsequently this translates into low enrolment numbers in existing vocational institutions.
This proposal specifically targets the strengthening of access to employable skills and vocational training in existing vocational institutions through involvement of the youth, community, civil society, local authorities and industry in non-formal skills development and vocational training for the youth. In addition, this action aims at strengthening the capacity of existing vocational institutions to deliver labor-market driven non-formal skills development and training to promote youth employability and income generation.
The expected results include identification of demanded skills and training needs/occupations, upgrading existing training institutions, training of trainers, developing modules and providing training materials, providing reliable data for further development, promoting traditional trades, and particularly in linking non-formal vocational training to the employment market. The action ensures involvement of the target group during all stages i.e. during the labour market scan to identify the demanded skills and occupations and formation of Learning Groups for training delivery. Partnerships and collaborations for local ownership will be achieved through community-led initiatives especially in Learning Groups.
1.2.2 Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the target
All the vocational institutions in the district offer the national long-term formal vocational training according to the Ugandan Business Examinations Board (UBTEB) or to internal qualification standards that are mostly not suited to the needs of the labour market and the employers in the district. The transformation to the current regulative Uganda Vocational Qualification Framework (UVQF) training and assessment standard has not yet commenced in the district concerned nor the Skilling Uganda Strategy. The institutions have neither documented labour market needs nor modules to conduct demanded modular non-formal vocational training programmes. Through participatory identification of competitive and marketable skills, employers will be able to influence training and obtain specifically skilled labour.
Local authorities need to include vocational skills training in the district development plans as a means of targeting unemployed individuals. Offering an opportunity for self-development should be seen as a continuous way of maintaining the growth of local communities. Strengthening vocational skills training will gradually lead to growth of the private sector which will inevitably advance local tax income and reduce poverty. The Business Technical Vocational Education and Training Act 2008 (BTVET Act 2008), Business Technical Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) Strategic Plan 2012/3to 2021/2, the Uganda’s Vision 2040, plus the implementation of the Sustainable Developmental Goals are some of the government’s proposed interventions to ensure improved skills development that is flexible, relevant and accessible to the youth. This action tries to build on these legal frameworks and government policies.
Specific problems to be addressed are: (a) vocational institutions offer training without understanding the labour market needs (“overproduction” of graduates in the traditional skills e.g. carpentry, bricklaying and tailoring; on the contrary, many skills are not offered at all to meet the dynamic labor market demands); (b) low quality of training in vocational training institutions due to a lack of sufficient qualified instructors, and (c) trained youths do not find employment after training and/or cannot use their acquired skills in a self-employed capacity.
The proposed actions therefore are intended to: (a) develop functional systems to link trainees to employment, e.g. through industrial training placements; (b) develop efficient capacities with private vocational training institutions to provide trainees with sufficient entrepreneurial skills for later self- employment; (c) co-ordinate and synchronise existing efforts such as connecting vocational training centres with district councils and companies/employers in the districts; (d) promotion of Vocational Training, and (e) focus vocational training on the local labour market conditions and needs.
The beneficiaries of this action will be accredited with the Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS). This is a recognized document by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
1.2.3 Target groups and final beneficiaries, their needs and constraints and how
the action will address these needs
The final beneficiaries are in need of employment oriented vocational skills that will enable them to become employed or self employed. In addition, the modularisation of short training programs will take into consideration the leather work production and socio-cultural activities in the area of action.
The target groups of this action are the (three hundred) 300 Youth in Lwengo district. The vocational institutions are interested in increasing their enrolments by offering modular vocational training that is short-term and labor market driven as opposed to the long-term training being delivered; while other categories need to develop interventions that equip them with employable skills to contribute to the local economy. Therefore the linkages that will be created by this action will ensure that the vocational institutions promote and offer non-formal modularised programmes to meet the industry/ company demands thereby reducing on the unemployment levels in the district. This in the long term will boost the local revenues in the districts to allow the authorities offer services through available labor and increased revenue.
The final beneficiaries are Training Institutions plus World of work with special emphasis on gender equality (approximate number of beneficiaries will be 700 people outreach of the action). Many of the youth have dropped out of the formal education systems due to various reasons for example poverty levels. In this case, many cannot go for the long-term technical education due to duration of training. Therefore this action will ensure modularisation of the long-term course by ensuring flexibility of training. Access to vocational skills training will also be mitigated throught the formation of Learning Groups that will be trained within the community.
1.2.4 Particular added-value elements
The project will work closely and build synergies with local government, and development partners in order to institutionalise non-formal skills training for the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. The project through offering alternative employable skills will attempt to discourage the rampant unruly youth groups that are detrimental to the socio-economic development in the district. The special emphasis during selection of final beneficiaries will be laid on involvement and promotion of the girl-child and disabled persons. Gender equality, rights of people with disabilities, and the fight against HIV/AIDS will be taken into account in all phases of the project. Soft skills, recycling and entrepreneurship skills will be also integrated during the trainings.
1.3 Description of the Action
BTVET attendance falls well below annually, likewise, craftwork, a potentially important source of full-time or off-season employment, which requires supplementary training rather than basic education, is handicapped by undercapitalized production techniques and weak market linkages. Farming remains the predominant occupation throughout the district and is the principal occupation in the most widely practiced livelihood system. The unpredictability of natural disasters in the district, such as the long spells of droughts coupled with limited assets and revenue- generating activities make it difficult for households to sustain themselves while meeting their daily needs.
The overall objective of this action is “ To contribute to poverty reduction through innovative vocational skills in Tailoring, Hairdressing and Leather Work Technology” Specifically, Vocational Training Institutions need to build their capacity to offer employable and demanded vocational skills training to youth through creating linkages and partnerships with industry/ companies. The partnership will help the institutions get informed about labour market needs. This project will be implemented by Solace Human Integrated Development Agency (SHIDA).
The applicant will liaise with a number of government departments and bodies who have a direct mandate in Business Technical Vocational Education and Training ( BTVET) in the country. The Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) has developed “Assessment Training Packages” (ATPs) to be used as generic curricula.
Activities description:
Result / ActivitiesResult 1:
70% of the trainees get employment/self employment as a result of relevant Leather Work skills training / · Conduct area studies i.e labour market studies, sector studies, needs assessments and establish learning groups according to their competencies.
· Purchase machines, tools and materials related to Tailoring, hairdressing and Leather work technology
· Buy Assessment and Training Packages (ATPs) from Directorate of Industrial Training
· Train the target group in vocational skills life skills, entrepreneurship and soft skills.
· Conduct one Training of Trainers ‘ workshop (ToT) training in vocational pedagogy to Instructors
· Construct one administration block and four training rooms.
Result 2:
Quality Skills Development Networks formed amongst trainees, Training Institutions and the World of Work. / · Initiate and facilitate dialogue on needs and constraints of the training Institutions plus businesses within the action area.
· Conduct awareness campaigns to inform the target groups and other stakeholders about the advantages and opportunities of vocational skills training and the Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS) accreditation.
Result 3:
300 people accredited with Worker’sPAS after successful and assessment of the training / · Assess 300 trained youth
· Validate and accredit 300 successful youth with the Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS) Certificate.
2.1 Sustainability/Impact of the action
· Learning Groups will be trained and assisted in developing attractive business plans to get funding from financial institutions in the district as well as donor groups.
· Skills Development Networks will be integrated within the Solace Human Integrated Development Agency (SHIDA) structure to aid its mission of promoting relevant demand driven skills development.
Institutional / · Learning Groups will continue functioning independently once they appreciate the need for skills development. They will be linked to local training providers for support in training provision and technical assistance.
· Participating training providers/institutions will have their capacity built through use of the labour market scan results and involvement in training delivery to structure and market their services to demand and relevance.
· Skills Development Networks will continue articulating the demand for relevant vocational skills for their labour needs with active participation of the stakeholders.
Policy level / · The Business Technical Vocational Education and Training Act 2008 (BTVET Act 2008) acknowledges and promotes all modes of skills development together with the BTVET Strategic plan of 2012/3 to 2021/2 i.e. formal and informal. In this regard the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) recognizes the Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS).
· Solace Human Integrated Development Agency (SHIDA) networks with Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT which is the mandated body to assess and issue the Worker’s Practically Acquired Skills (Worker’sPAS) in Uganda as a modular validation/certification of non formal and informal learning.
Environmental / · Promotion of recycling will be important in providing alternative employment opportunities like beads making, hand bags, door mats, key holders and door curtains.
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