Staff of the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI) have been trained in Pedagogy and Andragogy thanks to a partnership with Kyambogo University.
The Enabel-sponsored training aimed at sharpening the training skills of the staff and equipping them with new training models that align with the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) demands.
Speaking at the closure of the three-day training at the institute’s campus in Jinja on Wednesday, UHTTI Principal Richard Kawere commended Enabel for funding the training, saying well-trained human resource can easily deliver the institute’s vision of becoming a centre of excellence for hospitality and tourism training in the country and the region.
“You should always embrace these training opportunities because it is always good to seek additional knowledge,” Kawere said.
The lead trainer and Head of Department of Hotel and Institutional Catering at Kyambogo University, Dr Eric Kalanda, said UHTTI is supposed to re-direct and shape the training of hospitality professionals in the country.
“It is UHTTI and not UVTAB that is a custodian of hospitality training in the country and andrological skills are vital to help you deliver on this mandate,” Dr Kalanda said, adding that he will always be available to help the institute deliver on its mandate.
Dr Kalanda urged the staff to share the knowledge and skills they have attained to transform hospitality training in the country.
His remarks were echoed by Robert Ssewakka, another Kyambogo University don from the Department of Vocational Education, who humorously delivered a presentation on TVET training pathways and assessment.
Mr Ssewakka took the staff through the technicalities of TVET and what it takes to be a certified trainer, in accordance with the new TVET law.
“As a trainer you ought to be registered and in case you are not, then you do not qualify to train learners,” he said, while urging staff with the requisite qualifications to register as TVET trainers.
The Deputy Principal of the institute, Moses Kaneene, lauded Kyambogo University’s partnership with UHTTI, saying the partnership has helped the institute grow its mandate in the fields of research and staff development.
“We currently have about ten staff pursuing Masters and PhDs at Kyambogo University thanks to the partnership we have,” Mr Kaneene said.
It should be noted that Enabel, the Belgian agency for international cooperation, recently signed a 260,000 Euros (about Shs1.1 billion) grant agreement to support capacity building and skills development at UHTTI.
The grant is provided under Enabel’s WeWork Project, co-funded by the Belgian government and European Union (EU) to promote TVET in sectors with high job creation. The three-day training, therefore, marks the start of the implementation of this generous grant project.