SWOT from the PS perspective

This section provides a SWOT analysis of the PS’s cooperation with training institutions, as perceived by PS actors (see Table 5). This analysis serves to identify areas that are relevant to the interviewed companies, while stressing areas for better cooperation with ATCs.

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Situation analysis of the cooperation

Table 5: SWOT analysis of cooperations from the perspective of cooperating PS companies

Strengths

• PS actors and ATCs highly motivated to cooperate

• Insufficient supervision by ATC staff during internships

• Lack of motivation among trainees

• PS needs change faster than curricula adapt

• Uncertainty of reliability of the public sector as a partner ATVET system. In Uganda, interviewed PS members of the aquaculture and dairy value chains are willing to host trainees; of the nine interviewed companies, all are currently hosting trainees from ATCs and indicated their willingness to continue to provide placements in the future. Their motivation arises from their drive to foster their value chains. In fact, six of the nine companies in Uganda highlighted this as a key incentive in their cooperation with ATCs. The majority of respondents emphasising this issue were bigger/medium companies; smaller companies didn’t identify this as their major motivation, but confirmed there is a need to learn and integrate new theoretical knowledge in their operations to expand and penetrate markets.

Likewise, in Rwanda, PS horticultural companies highlighted the significant need for recruiting skilled labour to support their business ventures, especially in food processing as this subsector is in its incipient stage in Rwanda. All companies cooperating with the IPRC Musanze indicated that the PS is keen to expand

Situation analysis of the cooperation

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collaboration on industrial attachments given their demand for workers with the skills to operate machinery safely.

Another strength of cooperation with ATCs identified by the PS in both countries is their recognition that ATC trainees are better qualified than other interns they host, especially when compared with university students. More than half of the PS respondents indicated that ATC students are more familiar with practical skills and are able to learn new skills faster. Nevertheless, company representatives complained that the weighting of theoretical knowledge is still too high among ATC trainees.

PS actors in Rwanda and Uganda saw cooperation with ATCs provides employment opportunities for trainees and helps them establish networks. In Uganda, seven of the nine interviewed cooperating companies stated that they have or are willing to provide employment to their trainees if a vacancy is available. The companies indicated that even if there are no job placements open, the trainees could find job opportunities through the company´s network and based on their recommendation.

Similarly, most Rwandan companies cooperating with IPRC Musanze recruited trainees who completed industrial attachments with them. The companies stressed that when former trainees are recruited, they are better apt to rapidly respond to the demands on the job.

Weaknesses

All the PS companies interviewed in Uganda and Rwanda identified that, even when there is willingness to collaborate, the lack of MoUs or any kind of formalisation with the ATCs represents a major challenge for further cooperation.

This stems from a lack of official structures (liaison offices) and mechanisms (regular dialogue) to interact and consolidate cooperation. Many PS representatives indicated the lack of formalisation hinders the quality of the internships, as there is no clarity on responsibilities, expectations, framework, and scope of the cooperation. The PS suggested MoUs should include official guidelines on internship processes. In Rwanda, all respondents affirmed that companies engaging with ATVET schools do not know how to manage students’

needs and require formalised partnerships that can be audited and monitored by the companies’ boards. Additionally, Ugandan companies argued MoUs should clarify resources available for the internships.

Related to this, the PS criticised the current cooperation structure as lacking communication, feedback, and follow up mechanisms. PS actors cooperating with

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Situation analysis of the cooperation

ATCs in Uganda stressed the necessity of meeting and exchanging information at commencement and conclusion of internships. This exchange of information would help the trainees to prepare themselves for their internships and provide input to improve upon or overcome the difficulties encountered. In Rwanda, all PS actors explained that communication with IPRC Musanze is insufficient. To remedy this situation the IPRC recently (April 2019) established a liaison office in charge of partnerships.

A weakness unique to the Ugandan context and repetitively mentioned by cooperating companies is interns’ insufficient skills, lack of motivation, and poor attitudes. Cooperating partners felt the ATCs need to deal with this issue internally, starting with refining the recruitment process to ensure successful applicants are genuinely interested in and motivated to work in agriculture.

Private companies in Rwanda did not have similar observations, but claimed trainees were sufficiently motivated to enter the ATVET system by government scholarships for highly qualified students and grants for entrepreneurial projects.

Lack of supervision by ATC staff was emphasised by PS actors as a weakness of cooperation. Regular supervision of trainees during their internships not only improves the quality of internships but also affords the opportunity to enhance the communication flow between ATCs and PS partners. Thus, feedback on the appropriateness of the curricula could be gathered and options explored how to jointly improve their delivery. Private companies currently cooperating in ATVET in Rwanda and Uganda raised the issue of lack of personal accident insurance for trainees and lack of insurance for properties damaged by interns during industrial placements. The absence of appropriate insurance schemes proved to be a deterrent to cooperation, especially for smaller companies. PS partners in Rwanda believe the educational needs of their employees change faster than the ATC curricula and they see this as a weakness in their cooperation with ATCs. Some of the companies interviewed specified that their methods, processes, and access to new forms of technology is dynamic and ATVET schools are not flexible enough to keep astride these constant changes. They said ATVET schools would need to improve and adapt curricula to respond to these dynamic processes.

Opportunities

The PS in Uganda and Rwanda confirmed key areas for enhancing cooperation with ATCs. First, the respondents agreed that further collaboration could improve the quality of training by capitalising on the PS’s willingness to support ATCs in the development and delivery of curricula. In fact, more than three-quarters of the interviewed companies in both countries expressed their willingness to actively

Situation analysis of the cooperation

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complement the training curricula (for example, through providing specific extra-curricular courses or conducting value chain development research) to allow the training programme to better meet sectoral needs.

Ugandan PS players indicated ATCs are open to feedback whenever they offer it, with FTI being a special case since it has the mandate to develop its own curricula, thus making it easier for them to seek direct input from companies.

However, Rwandan companies lamented their limited input to the curriculum development process which they blamed on the lack of communication channels and feedback mechanisms within the ATVET system.

For PS actors in both countries, cooperation was seen as an opportunity to exchange information and technology. The PS in Uganda indicated they are willing to offer ATCs insights into changes in technology and innovation while participating in ATCs’ research and development projects. In Rwanda, some companies claimed collaboration with the ATCs, especially IPRC Musanze, would allow them to gain new knowledge on agricultural techniques and food processing methods. Respondents from bigger companies such as Source of the Nile in Uganda and Horizon in Rwanda envisioned sending experts to the ATCs to support training courses, while the ATCs could provide support to train unskilled staff from companies.

Four small Ugandan companies indicated that they would like to be able to use ATCs’ machinery and facilities.

Threats

The PS identified two key threats to cooperation. First, there is uncertainty about the public sector as a reliable partner. This statement arises from the lack of formalised cooperation agreements and lack of process knowledge on how to establish them. Unless this issue is addressed, the PS’s motivation to collaborate could be eroded.

Secondly, PS companies fear sharing information and valuable know-how which trainees could utilise in the future when they become entrepreneurs and, therefore, competitors. Even if the risk of losing intellectual property is relatively small, this perception dampens companies’ enthusiasm to fully involve interns in their operations or host interns altogether.

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