The Importance of Vocational Training for Former Child Combatants in Uganda

October 2013

Introduction

At a recent conference in Soroti, Uganda, stakeholders discussed the government's program on vocational training for former child combatants. Many felt that the program was irrelevant and lacked quality, failing to meet the needs of these young people. This is a problem because many former combatants have no formal education and lack the necessary skills to compete in the job market. The government's response has been to integrate them into the country's Defense Force, but this has generated negative feelings among some members of the community who see them as beneficiaries of violence.

The Importance of Vocational Training

One key strategy of the government has been to rehabilitate former combatants by providing them with vocational education and training so they can be self-reliant. However, stakeholders have raised concerns about the relevance of the courses offered by institutions, as they do not reflect what is in the job market. This is important because vocational education needs to prepare young people for specific trades that will help them become self-employed, such as crafts and technical education.

The Challenges of Vocational Education in Uganda

The challenges of the current vocational education in Uganda seem to emanate from the fact that it is more focused on employment rather than preparing the youth for specific trades. The much-needed craft vocations for the former combatants are those based on manual or practical activities, or technical education. These are necessary for them since they directly develop expertise in a particular group of techniques that is essential to help them get direct jobs and do not require academic study to a higher level.

The Need for Relevant Curriculum

If vocational training is to be taken seriously as a means to address the current unemployment challenges among the youth in Northern Uganda and the country at large, its curriculum needs to be seriously reviewed to meet these demands. The government should appraise the current vocational training curriculum and make it relevant. The skills offered should meet the job market. For example, many youths who are trained in knitting, hospitality, and cookery find it hard to get jobs that are currently in agriculture and other trades that can easily absorb them once they graduate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, vocational training is an important tool for rehabilitating former child combatants in Uganda. However, the current curriculum needs to be reviewed to meet the demands of the job market. The government needs to invest in the future of vocational education by providing more funding for training and subsidized apprenticeship or traineeship initiatives. This will help young people become self-reliant and contribute to the growth of the country's economy.


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