The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board and the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers have jointly expressed their apprehension regarding the increasing obstacles faced by Technical and Vocational Education and Training trainees in securing industrial attachment opportunities.
Industrial attachment is a mandatory requirement for trainees to facilitate the achievement of specific learning outcomes that would potentially lead to their employability on completion of a training program. Industrial attachments typically involve training providers and industries (through employers) forming partnerships to offer situated learning opportunities in the workplace so that learners and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) practitioners have access to authentic experiences that only the workplace can offer.
Onesmus Oyesigye, the Executive Secretary of UBTEB, highlights a concerning trend where employers in both the public and private sectors are increasingly reluctant to offer attachment opportunities to trainees.
According to Oyesigye, this is troublesome as it not only robs students of vital real-world experience but also crucially affects the assessment process. He further points out that many students encounter significant hurdles in completing their courses due to difficulties in securing necessary practical placements.
Employers and industries frequently decline to accept trainees due to several factors, including cost and resource constraints. Their concerns encompass potential safety risks, as well as worries about reduced productivity. Hosting trainees is perceived as possibly impacting productivity since students typically demand guidance and supervision, which could divert the focus of experienced employees from their usual duties.
Eng. Andrew Muhwezi, the President of the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers-UIPE, views the existing practice as vague, unclear, and counterproductive. He believes that it’s unrealistic for employers and the industry to expect a ready-to-work product, namely a trainee, without the essential component of industrial training.
In his perspective, industrial attachment is the crucial link between the industry and the trainers and assessors. It plays a pivotal role in producing highly skilled artisans and technicians. Eng. Muhwezi emphasizes that without artisans and technicians, no industry can effectively operate.
Muhwezi advocates for employers to provide the necessary space and opportunities for training. Moreover, he suggests that when highly skilled trainees emerge from TVET institutions, employers stand to benefit from reduced expenditures associated with orienting and training new employees.
In light of this challenge, UIPE and UBTEB have collaboratively joined forces to address the issue at hand. Their efforts include facilitating engineers’ support for artisans and technicians in securing suitable industrial attachments. Their combined efforts will also encompass the establishment, validation, and enforcement of standards for educational institutions’ curricula and qualifications.
This includes the formulation of relevant assessment, occupation, and certification standards tailored to the demands of the working world. Furthermore, they will actively engage in the continuous review of industrial training and real-life project assessments. Loy Abaine Muhwezi, the Commissioner for TVET Operations and Management at the Ministry of Education and Sports acknowledges that the issue of employers Limiting TVET Trainees Attachment Opportunities is a significant challenge.
She, however, says that the government intends to get a long-lasting solution addressing it through ongoing TVET reforms. “The new TVET reforms,” Muhwezi explains, “emphasize a tripartite model that fosters collaboration between assessors, trainers, and industry. These reforms will establish a structured framework where industries can readily provide industrial attachment opportunities without facing resistance.”
The recently approved TVET policy includes provisions for the establishment of Sector Skills Councils. These councils are envisioned to play a crucial role in ensuring that employers actively participate in providing practical training experiences for learners. This involvement would encompass mentorship through avenues such as internships, apprenticeships, and industrial attachments for the trainees.
However, the implementation of the TVET policy has been stalled, pending the enactment of the TVET Act, which is currently in draft form awaiting approval from the cabinet.
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