The Skills Development Facility (SDF) has launched a third call for applicants under Window 1 aimed at funding skills training to address skills shortages in the formal sector.
SKF is a Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and World Bank funded initiative that seeks to build capacity and train Ugandans focusing on improving the quality of skills development for Ugandans.
Running for 3 years to date, SKF, compliments Government’s role in skilling Ugandans through the Ministry of Education and Sports, thus impacting the beneficiaries through imparting on-demand competitive technical skills.
According to a media statement released by SKF, the call for grants targets medium and large enterprises and shall fund programmes such as internships, practical and technical training programs; apprenticeship as well as voucher schemes for industries with mobility of workers for those intending to participate in it.
PSFU will offer up to a ceiling of $250,000 that covers up to 80 per cent for (medium companies); up to 50 per cent for the (large companies); up to 90 per cent for (voucher scheme) and up to 100 per cent (internship).
Breaking Barriers: Charles Mudiwa on Intergenerational Leadership at Makerere Commenting about the focus on on-the-job training, Gideon Badagawa, Executive Director at the Private Sector Foundation Uganda said the initiative is aimed at aligning skills with job market demands.
“The mistake that we have been making in the past is that the curriculum has been determined by universities and Vocational institutes. Now we are structuring it according to what the employer needs therefore we are looking to people that are employed and improving their skills to be able to improve productivity,” he said.
As of the third Quarter of 2019, SDF had registered a total of 363 grants that had been awarded and funded, yielding an enrolment of 48,505 trainees. The total number of trainees who have completed training stands at 29,403, (62.5%) of which 47.5% are male and 52.5% are female.
The trainee dropout rate registered is at only 682 (1.4%) of which 46.2% are male and 53.8% are female. The project registered tremendous improvement in the area of participation of employers in the skills training programs up to 86% with employers’ rating competency of trained employees at 91.7%.
