TRAINEES ATTEND NATIONAL DIT ASSESSMENT AT URDT

Uganda Rural Development Institute (URDT-I) trainees from three sectors of Tourism, Construction and Agriculture sit their first national DIT assessment exam at Kagadi URDT campus and other assessment centres. The assessment has been one of a kind that in a length of two years, the trainees had never been assessed on what had been trained.

According to Eunice Kyalikunda the Kagadi district epicentre Manager, “the satellite approach of skilling trainees from their respective communities was introduced by URDT-I to enable young people to train and immediately transition to work. learn, work as they earn so as to raise capital to graduate as entrepreneurs. Acquire soft skills on marketing, pricing and bargaining and for increased development of the local industries”.

She adds “URDT-I/Young Africa Works project trained 2100 young people in 2020/2021 but these were not assessed. The trainees have been studying from artisans’ and agribusiness practitioners’ workshops and farms in the 20 districts within Mid-Western and Mid-Central parts of Uganda”. “The Artisans and Agribusiness practitioners are selected using the URDT-I selection criteria”.” In regards to quality assurance, URDT-I opted for Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) assessment so as young people are awarded a certificate”.

According to Monica Kiiza, a hairdressing trainee. “The assessment is the final exam on the training and advises young people to enroll for DIT assessment in order to attain certificates, and get employed”.

Ssekamate Deogratias, a Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) assessor on motorcycle repair and maintenance says” “The assessment involves two modular, whereby every after a modular, trainees are awarded a certificate of training. The certification enables the graduate have employment opportunities i.e. locally, nationally and internationally.