Activities

ICCO and its partners, AVSI and ZOA, held an analysis workshop. The workshop was facilitated by a trained DACUM facilitator and a committee of 8-12 experts, practitioners and workers from the different enterprises. Profile charts showing the duties and tasks performed by the workers involved were developed for each occupation, job enabler and trend. The time period needed to train for each task and job was also agreed upon. Lists were drawn up of the required general knowledge and skills, worker behaviour, tools, equipment, materials, supplies and future job concerns.

Stakeholders

• ICCO and its partners, AVSI and ZOA; a trained DACUM expert, who facilitated the job analysis process; CEFORD documented the DACUM process and organized the logistics.
• The actual job analysis was carried out by a range of private and public sector actors: farmers, agriculturalists, BVET instructors, staff from the Directorate of Industrial Training, UGAPRIVI (Association of private TVETs), local government representatives, etc.

Resources

The process required manpower (technical experts), material resources (e.g. audio-visual information, stationery), financial resources (allowances for consultants and participants) and time.

Results

Job profiles were established for specific agricultural areas (poultry-farming, pig-farming, horticulture, beekeeping, fish-farming and tree-nursery operation).

Lessons learned

• The involvement of knowledgeable practitioners enhanced the process.
• A particular job profile can be relevant as long as it is generated systematically in a given context.
• BTVET institutions and private sector actors now have a better understanding of how working together can contribute to enhancing the quality of skills provision.
• Holding residential workshops enabled the organizations to avoid wasting time during the development process.
• Involving business people from the private sector requires motivation and patience to enhance the process.

Recommendations

• Ensure the involvement of practitioners, technocrats and government authorities to enhance the process of developing profiles.
• Create an environment in which all stakeholders can participate meaningfully in the process.
• Plan in adequate time and resources for the process, profiling and the verification of occupations (3-5 days) and review (up to 6 months).
• Plan in consultation with the participants when preparing and executing the process, and communicate with them effectively in order to enhance participation.
• Inform the stakeholders about the progress of the profiling process.
• Network and collaborate with stakeholders involved in similar projects.

The trainees are the ultimate proof that the job profiles are effective!
“My involvement in the development of training has improved my own training and more people are attracted to my shop.” Mr Opiyo Richard, an agro-input dealer and private skills trainer from Cwero, Gulu.
“More people now know me and appreciate my product and training.” Taban Morris, a vegetable grower and private skills provider from West Nile.

Summary

Youth unemployment in Northern Uganda is among the highest in Africa. The Acholi, Lango and West Nile sub-regions are the poorest parts of the country. However, the farmland in this area is fertile and well suitable for agricultural production. This project consolidates the achievements made by the existing Agri Skills 4 You Program. It aims to reduce youth employment through innovations in agricultural vocational training and offers 930 young people a chance to a better future.

Short facts
Sector:	Automobile
Lead partner:	ICCO
Overall budget for the project:	€ 1.168.612
Learn4Work contribution:	€ 350.000
Partner contribution:	€ 818.612
Implementation period:	1 January 2015 – 30 June 2016

The Agri Skills 4 You Program

The Agri Skills 4 You (AS4Y) program, a 4-year program funded by the Dutch Embassy, started in 2013 with the aim to increase income and improve food security for rural households in Northern Uganda. This region has suffered from prolonged conflict and dislocation of people. As a result the region is disrupted; the social infrastructure has collapsed and poverty has drastically increased. AS4Y focuses on youth and their development of skills for market-oriented agriculture in order to decrease youth unemployment. 12.000 young people are given an opportunity to enrol in Business Technical Vocational Education and Training (BTVET). They learn skills for consumer demand-driven small-scale farming. This project is developed as complementary support to the AS4Y program.

Innovations in business vocational training

This project consolidates the progress that has been achieved by AS4Y. It enhances the relevance of the provided vocational education by investing in the link to the labour market. Thus, it enables young people to become skilled, find a job and earn a living. Networking and information sharing between the various actors involved with BTVET in the region are essential in order to enhance the capacity of BTVET institutes for increased market-oriented agricultural production. Demonstration farms and a TVET learning hub where teachers and students will learn skills, experience business, and use computers to find and share relevant agricultural information are being set-up. The involvement of the private sector with these facilities enables their long-term sustainability, provide hands-on learning experience and create new job opportunities. A track and trace system of trained students will be initiated to follow and support the students after graduation.

Women & vocational training

Young men often leave the area to look for jobs in the city. Young women stay behind and grow crops for home consumptions. In most cases this is not enough to feed their families. Because women are often alone and responsible for the agricultural production this project has a specific focus on improving the lives of young women. 40% of the students that enrol in the training activities are female. Though this is still less than 50%, it is considerable higher than the average female enrolment of women in secondary agricultural education. Improved agricultural skills education for demand-driven production and employment should help to increase the income and improve food security for rural households in Northern Uganda. To strengthen BTVET in agriculture for young women, and youth in general, it is essential to lift people out of their isolation by linking students, teachers, TVET organisations, private companies and the government to jointly address market-oriented agricultural production and business.

Public Private Partnership

This project is an international partnership between Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s), TVET institutes, and the private sector. ICCO, a Dutch organization for development cooperation, acts as the lead partner in this project. The AVSI Foundation, an Italian NGO, is specialised in education and social development. ZOA Uganda is an international Dutch NGO with expertise in agricultural vocational training for school dropouts, unemployed and poorly trained youth. EyeOpenerWorks is a consultancy firm in the Netherlands that advises on quality education and (social) business incubation/development in Uganda. Homa Farm Ltd. is a Ugandan private sector social enterprise in commercial farming, training and agricultural demonstrations. The following 14 TVET institutes are involved as potential centres of excellence in agricultural education: African Child Outreach Trust; Bobi Community Polytechnic; Obyen Community Polytechnic; Agoro International Vocational Institute; Northern Uganda Youth Development Center; St.Bakhita Vocational Training Center; Modern Vocational Training Center Loro; Amugu Agro Technical Institute; Oasis Farm Institute; Acaba Technical School; Moyo District Farm Institute; Koboko Technical Institute; Nile Farm Institute; Zombo District Farm Institute Zeu. All organisations collaborate to enhance access to and increase the quality of market-oriented skills training in agriculture in Northern Uganda. The Private sector is at the heart of the project and increases the relevance of skills training for employment opportunities for the youth and sustains new training facilities.

ICCO Alliance RO Central and Eastern Africa

P.O Box 33333
Kampala
Uganda
Website: http://www.iccokia.org/centraleastafrica/
Email: central-and-eastern-africa[at]icco-cooperation.org
Contact: Mr Moses Cik

AVSI Foundation Uganda

Uganda
Website: http://uganda.avsi.org/
Email: kampala[at]avsi.org
Contact: Mr John Makoha

Oasis Farm Institute

Uganda
Website: –
Tel: +31 (0)567 72841880
Contact: Mr John Bosco Ogwand

Homa Farm Ltd

Uganda
Website: –
Email: ononom[at]yahoo.com
Contact: Mr Moses Onono

Zombo District Farm Institute

Uganda
Website: –
Email: aneniwupatrick[at]yahoo.com
Contact: Mr Patrick Aneniwu

Adraa Agricultural College

Uganda
Website: –
Email: –
Contact: Brother Tony

Koboko Technical Institute

Uganda
Website: –
Email: gokuonzi[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Gilbert Okuonzi

Moyo District Farm Institute

Uganda
Website: –
Email: vuchirijimmy1[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Jimmy Vuchiri

Acaba Technical School

uganda
Website: –
Email: acabatech[at]yahoo.com
Contact: Mr Simon Owiny

Amugu Agro Technical Institute

Uganda
Website: –
Email: mwesigwadan1[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Daniel Mwesigwa

Modern Vocational Training Center Loro

Uganda
Website: –
Email: kennethayuku[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Kenneth Ayuku

St.Bakhita Vocational Training Centre

Uganda
Website: –
Email: bsozeki[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Bosco Ojok

Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre

Uganda
Website: –
Email: litebere[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mrs Lilian Tebere

Agoro International Vocational Institute

Uganda
Website: –
Email: aiviagoro[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr John Lugai

Obyen Community Polytechnic

Uganda
Website: –
Email: kiryemafred[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Frederick Kiryema

Bobi Community Polytechnic

Uganda
Website: https://www.facebook.com/BobiCommunityPolytechnic
Email: bobi.polytechnic[at]gmail.com
Contact: Mr Alex Okumu

African Child Outreach Trust

Uganda
Website: –
Email: simonpeter14[at]yahoo.com
Contact: Mr Simon Peter Okello

ZOA Uganda

Uganda
Website: http://www.zoa-international.com/
Email: cd[at]zoa.ug
Contact: Mr Gerard Hooiveld

EyeOpenerWorks VOF

Netherlands
Website: http://www.eyeopenerworks.org
Email: info[at]eyeopenerworks
Contact: Mr Martijn Harlaar