Uganda USDP
Uganda Skills Development Project (USDP)
Background
Agriculture is the most important sector in the Ugandan economy but suffers from inefficiencies and considerable post-harvest loss. There are large skills gaps between trained graduates and labour market demands, particularly in the sub-sectors of agri-processing and post-harvest management. Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) curriculum has been developed to resolve this insufficient alignment between graduates and industry
Description
USDP is a World-Bank funded project (2017-2021) developed to enhance the capacity of Bukalasa Agricultural College (BAC) and junior vocational institutes to deliver high quality, demand-driven training programs in the agricultural sector. Dalhousie University has been contracted as a twinning institution to support the development of BAC as a Centre of Excellence in Agricultural instruction in Uganda. These twinning activities include developing new national occupational standards, institutional development policies and a new curriculum based in pedagogy of Competency Based Education and Training (CBET).
The new CBET curriculum at BAC is a two-year diploma program focused on the following areas
- Livestock Production and Business Management
- Crop Production and Business Management
- Agri-Processing and Business Management
QUICK FACTS
Primary Goal:
To enhance the capacity of Bukalasa Agricultural College to deliver quality skills-based instruction, producing competent graduates who possess the necessary skills and knowledge required by the labour market.
Focus
Bukalasa Agricultural College (twinning partner); Ssese Farm Institute, Kaberamaido Technical Institute, Rwentanga Farm Institute (vocational training institutes).
Funding
The project is funded by the World Bank, and Dalhousie has been contracted by Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sport to achieve the project objectives.
Length of Project
4+ years (including inception mission, extenion and wrap-up), from 2017 to 2023.
Expected Results
Development and use of new CBET curriculum, with cross-cutting themes of entrepreneurship, business management and gender equality. Increased capacity at the twinning partner in a variety of areas, including human resource management, strategic planning, gender mainstreaming, entrepreneurship and industry engagement. There will also be increased instructor development and training, and improved infrastructure, library and laboratory facilities.
Official Project Launch:
https://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/news-events/news/2019/03/14/uganda_skills_development_project__usdp__launch.html
Other Media:
https://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/news-events/news/2018/04/05/from_truro_to_bukalasa.html
https://observer.ug/education/60969-bukalasa-to-become-centre-of-excellence-in-agriculture
Led By: International, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture
Contact:
David Parks, Project Coordinator, International (Truro)