ANALYSIS OF WORLD OF WORK / LABOUR MARKET IN UGANDA VIS-À-

VIS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING (VET)

Wycliff E.Tusiime – FK ParticipantOslo and Akershus University College of Applied SciencesJune 2012

PRESENTATION STRUCTURE

Current Status of World of Work in Uganda The Concept of Work in Uganda Competencies Required from Employees in

Uganda’s Labour market today Vocational Education &Training (VET) The Required Nature of VET VET Challenges Way forward

WORLD OF WORK/LABOUR MARKET: Definition

This is where workers find paying work, employers find willing workers, and wage rates are determined.

It is where actual work takes place. It includes labourers who are skilled, semi-skilled and non-skilled (uneducated labourers)

Uganda’s labour market is “slack” meaning there are more workers than the jobs availbale.

Its Size

Labour force: approx. 11.5m persons aged 14–64 (2009/2010 UNHS estimates -

UBOS)

Composition: Female 53% Male: 47% Area distribution: Rural 85% Urban 15% Literacy rate: 77% (No education or attained primary)

33% (educated)

Age distribution: 75% (below 40 years)This indicates that majority of the individuals entering labour market have

no skills considering that the primary schools do not offer vocational working skill training.

Labour Participation

Participation rate is 80% Rural women have higher participation rates than

their urban counterparts. Illiterate persons available for work than the literate

ones. Persons without education have higher participation

levels than those with primary education, those with secondary education have the lowest.

Female participation for lower ages is higher than that of males. This shows that females enter the labour market at young ages than males.

Unemployment Vs Education

The lowest unemployment is found among those with no education, followed by those with primary education.

The rate of unemployment of graduates stood at 17.4% in 2005. (UBOS, 2006)

The Population Report (UBOS, 2010), revealed that 400,000 graduates join the Labour market each year and only 80,000 get employed.

This shows that there is need to orient graduates from being job seekers to job makers. Government needs to develop policies and ensure that children are kept in schools.

THE CONCEPT OF WORK IN UGANDA

For various reasons, the concept of work has changed significantly in the last three decades. Work manifests its self in two major concepts in Uganda today:The traditional concept of workThe modern concept of work

Traditional Concept of Work

Work means paid employment Full time job involving about 40 hours of employment

per week Permanent job where one works until he chooses to

move on For life – till retirement with retirement benefits Career development with prospects of growth at

work A defined employer-worker relationship exists Work-family chores are clearly separate

The Traditional Nature of Work

Structured and rigid job descriptions Hierarchical reporting and supervision

structures Tools of work are available and provided Rules and regulations strongly observed Boss-subordinate relationship Decision making structures highly structured

– mostly top-down and rigid

The Modern Concept of Work

Engagement in productive activity to earn a living

Not about time spent but about output May be full-time, part-time, or contract Work may be office-based, home-based, or

mobile Work is associated with earning and survival May be in the formal or informal sector

The Modern Nature of Work

Mostly unstructured systems Flexibility in the execution of work Teamwork required to accomplish tasks Creativity is encouraged Multi-skills required Characterized by new and changing

technologies

Competencies Required from Employees in Uganda’s Labour market today

Should embrace the concept of lifelong learning and be ready to learn more and to learn new things throughout their lives

Should have cross-disciplinary knowledge Should have good communication and interpersonal skills Should be ready to work in teams Should pay attention to details Should be creative and innovative Should be ready for self-adjustment Should be committed Should display a sense of responsibility Should have functional skills

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET): Its Meaning

The terms “vocational education” and “vocational training” are commonly used together, sometimes separately, and sometimes interchangeably.

Vocational Education refers to provision of knowledge about vocations and about skills required for production of goods and services.

Vocational training refers to the process of actual skills acquisition targeting specific outputs.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Its Purpose

To provide general knowledge about vocations and work for personal development

To provide knowledge and skills for individual use and personal development

To provide knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for community development

To provide appropriate skills for industry and national development

Current Status of VET

VET is currently undertaken at various levels by various categories of clients

Informal sector VET Pre-primary and primary school VE Secondary school VE Post-secondary level VET

Vocational Education and Training in the Informal Sector

It aims at providing skills for productivity and self-reliance. It is:

Most relevant education and training Focused on specific skills delivery and

acquisition Targets requirements of the labour market Characterized by apprenticeships, on the job

training, and experiential learning

Pre-primary and Primary Vocational Education

The following are the aims of VET at this level: to enable pupils to master fundamental knowledge and techniques

used in vocational tasks. to develop children’s ability in the use of hands and head and

educate them to appreciate the value dignity and decisive role of labour in processes of production and in public welfare.

to promote rational thinking and attitudinal change in favour of productive manual work.

to stimulate interest among pupils in the acquisition of basic skills ultimately leading to the development of a strong technological awareness in the masses and ,

to promote intergration of technical subjects with other subjects. to lay a firm and viable basis in the development of the lives of the

citizens, and of the country upon which a national, managerial, technical and scientific base can be founded and established.

Secondary Vocational Education

At secondary school level, the purpose is to:

instill positive attitudes towards work and strong respect for those who engage in productive labour activities.

To expose students to various trades in the world of work To provide basic and general entry level job skills for immediate

personal application for positive employment on leaving school.

To lay a foundation for more advanced technical training.

Post-Secondary VET

The purpose of VET at this level is:

To facilitate interpretation, application and translation of basic knowledge and understanding of fundamental facts and principles of science processes and techniques to be able to produce and use tools and labour saving devices for productive work.

Inculcate an appreciation of labour and the environment as a resource base. To impart skills necessary for protection, utilization and conservation of

environmental heritage. To refine and consolidate indigenous artistic and technological skills in order

to produce things of aesthetic and cultural value. To consolidate, synthesize and apply the ability to use the head, heart and

hands towards innovations, modernization and improvement in the quality of life; and

To broaden and increase technological awareness and the capacity of the learner to engage in productive activities for becoming self-reliant.

THE REQUIRED NATURE OF VET

Demand driven Flexible Multi-skilled Attitude driven (career guidance) Labour market information systems Entrepreneurial skills Environmental issues ICT

VET CHALLENGES

Equipment and tools Retraining staff Curriculum changes Evolving needs of the workplace Socio-economic climate Skills levels and requirements Labour market information systems Donor driven policies and programmes.

WAY FORWARD

Labour market information Resource mobilization Curriculum relevance and flexibility Employer involvement Strengthen private public partnership Lifelong learning Multi-skilling School enterprises Needs assessment must be a critical part of

curriculum planning

Bibliography

Uganda (1992) The Government White Paper on Implementation of the Report of the Education Review Commission. Kampala, Uganda.

MISR (2006) Graduate Tracer and Employers’ Expectations in Uganda. Kampala, Uganda

MLGSD (2006) Labour Market Information Status (LMIS) Report for Uganda. Kampala, Uganda.

Tusiime, W.E (2010) Master Thesis: Vocational Education and Training Graduates and the Labour Market in Uganda. Kyambogo University, Kampala.

Prever Mukasa (2011) The Labour Market and Today’s Graduate. Accessed at http://www.ucu.ac.ug/thestandard/life-and-style/28-life-and-style/915-the-labour-market-and-todays-graduate.html.

MLGSD (2011) The National Employment Policy for Uganda. Kampala, Uganda.

Bibliography cont….

UBOS (2010) The Urban Labour Force Survey Report. Kampala, Uganda.

Precious N (2011) Uganda’s Education Irrelevant to Labour Market – Minister. Article accessed at http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=35920#ixzz1vVA5oc00 on 21.05.2012 at 13:14pm