Vocational Training

I spent Wednesday morning with Michael who heads up the Vocational Training Department, more commonly known as Trade School. This involves overseeing admissions, checking previous school reports etc; liaising with exam boards and department planning and reporting. 

BRDC offer classes in Carpentry, Building & Construction, Tailoring, Hairdressing and Agriculture as these are all seen as marketable skills that address local needs within surrounding communities.  Students take exams through the Uganda Business and Technical Education Board or the Directorate of Industrial Training and then can either apply for jobs with their qualification or start their own businesses.

Similar to the Community Based Training and Tree Planting Teams, Michael talks to Community Leaders, Church Leaders and uses local radio to let people know what courses are run here and encourage student numbers.  The first week of February was results week so this month BRDC expect numbers to increase as students make decisions about their future.

I spent the next couple of hours with the hairdressing class. Madame Colletta explained that the course teaches hair care and styling as well as customer care, communication and health and safety etc. My braiding skills were definitely not up to scratch!

Learning to braid

Practising on each other