Govt to roll out new course in vocational training
Students at Nakawa Vocational Training Institute in Kampala during a practical lesson in October 2019. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Mr Patrick Byakatonda, the (DIT) acting executive director, said it is very important for all assessors and verifiers to have health and safety certification because vocational skilling starts with safety.
The government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, is set to roll out a new course dubbed International Health and Safety Passport (IHSP) that will be taught to all vocational skills trainers and assessors.
The IHSP aims to ensure individuals possess a recognised level of health and safety knowledge and awareness, and successful candidates will be issued a photographic passport, which demonstrates their ability to work in vocational institution.
Speaking to the media during the passing out of 100 trainers and assessors in Safety and Health Occupation in Kampala yesterday, Mr Ismail Mulindwa, the assistant commissioner of Private Schools Policy Regulations at the Education ministry, said currently, the course is taught at Nakawa Vocational Training College but with time, all vocational institutes will have it in their curriculum.
“We have been teaching different disciplines of vocational skills without safety and health occupation, but we have realised that something is missing in terms of shielding the learners yet we are dealing with hands-on expertise,” he said.
He added that after training the assessors, the trainees will also enrol so that they complete at once instead of coming back for the course.
“This course will take between two weeks and one month, depending on people’s ability and after they will be issued certificates of completion through the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT),” he said.
Mr Patrick Byakatonda, the (DIT) acting executive director, said it is very important for all assessors and verifiers to have health and safety certification because vocational skilling starts with safety.
“In vocational skills, we deal with sharp objects and strong chemicals to both the trainer and the client, therefore, safety must be taken as a first priority in our field,” he said.
Mr Byakatonda added that more than 100 verifiers from DIT have acquired the health and safety certification, which adds value to their qualifications and gives them chance to compete at international level.
“Every year, we shall be enroling 200 DIT trainers in International Health and Safety Passport because it’s very important while assessing the trainees across the country,” he said
At the same event, Mr Byakatonda revealed that all government institutions dealing with hands-on projects have embarked on assessing the ability of their workers through DIT.
“We have started with National Water and Sewarage Corporation to assess their competence in dealing with clients in terms of customer care services and how they put the skills in practice,” he said.
Mr Fred Muwanga, the principal of Nakawa Vocational Training College, said this course started this year and they are still enroling more students and trainers from different institutions.
