Vocational Training in Renewable Energy Technicians Starts in Iganga.

Vocational Training in Renewable Energy Technicians Starts in Iganga.

Iganga, a small town in Eastern Uganda is known for majorly two things; its vibrant entrepreneur spirit and being one of the biggest producer of maize corn in Uganda. What is little known of this town is the zeal and interest in education. A drive through the town and its surroundings reveals the countless number of primary and secondary schools that serve the community year after year. In fact most of the schools are privately owned.

The community has been responsible for the success and growth of the schools in the district but also, the neighbouring districts, entire country, and indeed the East African Countries have equally contributed enormously to the success and growth of these schools.  It is a common experience to walk into most schools in Iganga and find students from all over East Africa especially Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda and to some extent Southern Sudan and The Democratic Republic of Congo.

On 6^th December 2013, Iganga town got to be known for totally another reason. The town now hosts the first renewable energy vocational training and research center. A new school under the names, eSeeker Vocational Training and Research Center opened its door to the public.

Short courses: eSeeker Vocational Training and Research Center provides training in short courses in Solar Water Heater with supporting subjects in the basics of ICT-Computer Literacy, and Entrepreneurship skills in Renewable Energy. This year 2 new courses in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Biogas will be introduced and added on the list of courses to be provided by the center. All course are three months long.

Target group: The courses are targeted at youth and long life learners (Adult Education). After taking these courses, students will become solar water heater technicians with up to-date skills in Installation, repairing, and maintenance of solar systems.

Instruction and method of teaching: Students will receive instructional experiences that are effective and efficient. Three major methods of instruction are used at eSeeker. That is; Learning by doing (learning from experience), Problem based learning (students learn through thinking strategies and specialized knowledge), and Blended learning (learning using a combination of online studies and face-to-face instructional activities with the help of the computers).

The objective of using the three teaching methods is to provide students with a learning environment that develops students’ flexible Knowledge, problem solving skills, collaborative skills and self directed learning. What is important is that learning has to be student centered and the skills should appeal to current market demand in work places. Therefore, students at eSeeker will be get the opportunity to obtain skills that are relevant to employers but also should the students choose to get self employed at one point in time, the skills acquired will allow them to be competitive in the market and relevant in providing needed solutions to customers.

eSeeker has put together a very good team of online support tutoring that provides lessons with the goal of exposing students to information and views from another perspective of the world through eLearning from specialists in France, Sweden and Finland on a regular basis via Moodle learning management system and other online tools.

Partners: eSeeker has a very strong consortium of local and international partners with experiences in: vocational pedagogical (process of teaching) and andragogical (adult learning) training, engineering, project management, micro and small medium enterprise background, and financial institutions.

Students at eSeeker will be benefit from learning from what the partnership brings to the training center under the philosophy grounded in promoting Vocational skills that develop, generate, empower and encourage creativity, innovation and sustainability in each and every students at the training center

eSeeker takes this opportunity to thank our major partners that have been with us since the incubation of the project idea until the implementation of the training center. A big thank you to Education Finder AB Sweden for being the main partners that provided training and facilitated the center including computers and eLearning Infrastructure under the stewardship of the CEO Marja-riitta Ritanoro, Ingenjörer utan gränser (Engineers with out Boarders-Sweden) for providing volunteers throughout the curriculum building process and the project implementation with the special help from the Incredible Dorian Henricot, Jakob Jones, Tobias Ljungkvist and Kalle Hedlund who not only put in time and commitment, but also provided computers and personal donations.

We also thank the Finnish business support agency Finnpartnership for providing a grant that made it possible for eSeeker to conduct a successful feasibility study of the project.

Learning materials, equipment and environment: The training center understands that for students to obtain quality studies, the learning environment must have the right tools, equipment and material that match the demand in working life. The school has therefore invested in equipment and machines that students will learn to operate during practical class projects. Computers for every student at the training center are available with a fast and dependable Internet to facilitate and make learning fun. A technically trained personnel is available to provide support on the use of tools through out the training period.

Internship: Vocational training is not complete if students do not get the opportunity to put to test the knowledge and skills they learn from school in the right authentic environment. eSeeker guarantees to provide a two weeks internship programme through its partners. eSeeker guarantees to provide a two weeks internship programme through its partners. Students will be placed for internship to get a hands-on experience in the real work conditions, get the feel of technology in work places, and install solar water systems in several places in Uganda. So, this programme truly prepares students to get ready to face the world.

Entrepreneurship Class

Life after school: It is has been established that after going through a rigorous training programme, students may not necessarily get employment. Therefore, eSeeker works in collaboration with financial institutes to work out a programme that may provide financial instruments to renewable energy business start-up programmes from our students.

So, do not hold your self back. Come and get yourself employable skills that match the current times. Becoming a student at eSeeker exposes you to a new thinking and a network of good teams of friends all over the world.  Simply subscribe as a student to eSeeker Vocational Training and Research Center.

To learn more on how you can become a student, recommend our services, or become part of eSeeker support member, please contact us via any of the following mediums:

Email: eseekerug@gmail.com

Phone: +256 434 660 422

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ESeeker-Uganda/374722445966009 Please like our group and you are welcome to leave comments

Website: www.eseekerug.com