New programme to boost ICT training in VTCs

Vocational and Technical training centres across the country especially those offering Information Communication Technology (ICT) will be adding the Oracle programe on the list of courses, David Mugume, the Director of ICT at the Workforce Development Authority, has said. The development comes as a result of the partnership the government through the Ministry of Education signed with Oracle Systems Limited early this year. Oracle Systems Limited is an American multinational computer technology corporation with its headquarters in California. It specializes in developing and marketing computer hardware systems and enterprise, software products — particularly its own brands of database management systems. Through this partnership, the company will among others provide the software to be used in the vocational and technical training centers, curriculum, technology and certification resources as well as establishing Oracle learning centers countrywide. “So far, we have trained 22 trainers of trainees who will kick start the Oracle training programme in the learning centers and we intend to train more to ensure that we have enough of them,” said Mugume. He explained that currently, there is urgent need of skilled labour in the ICT sector saying that this particular initiative is expected to produce human resource with the capacity to operate and build secure and strong data base that will contribute to protecting and fighting cyber crimes. Mugume said that based on the need for such professionals in the labour market, this initiative will contribute towards fighting unemployment and producing ICT competent graduates. IPRC South which is one of the five IPRC’s the government has established to promote Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) has been selected as the Oracle Center. Trainers of Trainees and graduates from the various training centers will undergo training there to build competence. The Oracle programme will equip trainees with skills in two trades. They include Javier programming and Oracle data base training.