Government Starts Consultations on Regulating Workplace-Based Learning

Government, through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has started week-long consultations aimed at collecting views about how to streamline workplace-based learning in the country.

Workplace-based learning includes education and training programmes which include internship, school practice, clerkship, apprenticeship as well as industrial training or Industrial attachments by young people seeking employment.

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, through the Green Jobs Programme, will this week hold consultations with key stakeholders like District Labour Officers [DLOs], District Education Officers [DEOs], trade unions and employers organisations like the Federation of Uganda Employers (FEU).

The Consultations will be held in Gulu and Mbale districts.

While opening the consultation week in Gulu on Monday, Mr Milton Turyasiima, the Assistant Commissioner for Employment Services, who was speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary Mr James Ebitu, said that the Ministry of Gender is working with the Education Ministry to have certification for interns and apprentices.

“The Workplace-based Learning Policy basically means imparting skills but within the workplace. That is why we are working with the Ministry of Education. Certification is the preserve of the Ministry of Education. Soo many people are acquiring skills through informal means but after acquiring them, can they be certified so that they are compared with somebody who has acquired formal education? “Mr Turyasiima said.

During the consultations, the Ministry will get input from these key stakeholders into the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) that seeks to inform the compilation of a Workplace-based Learning Policy in the country.

The draft RIA report indicates that, in today's highly competitive labour markets, the experience gained through Workplace-based Learning opens doors to later job opportunities.

If Workplace-based learning is effectively implemented, the national annual labour productivity is expected to increase from the current $1400 per worker to $2000 per worker in 2023 while the proportion of the population with specialization in any field is expected to increase from 6% in 2017 to 10% in 2023, according to the RIA report.

The RIA report is supposed to propose solutions to reduce the unemployment levels, increase the relevancy of the education curriculum, enhance labour productivity of Ugandans and also support an improved quality of work environments and adherence to occupational health and safety standards.