Fulfilling occupational skills requirements: the case of adult and community education training at Kyambogo University

Abstract

The study was carried out in the Department of Adult and Community Education (ACE) at Kyambogo University to assess the occupational skills training provided by the Department for the graduates working in Kampala district. It was guided by three objectives: to examine the possible competence gaps in respect to practical performance of tasks by the graduates, examine the training curriculum provided by the Department of ACE and analyse the pedagogical approaches employed by the teaching staff during the training. The results from the study should have practical implications for both the department and curriculum developers to improve the curriculum, to produce graduates who might better meet the demands of the workplaces. The inquiry used a descriptive study design taking a qualitative approach based on a sample of 25 respondents comprised of the teaching staff, the graduates already working and undergraduates in their final year. These were selected using simple random and systematic sampling techniques. Data were collected using indepth interviews, observation and documentary analysis. The main findings showed that graduates were not able to perform well during the practical tasks. One important reason to note for this situation is the fact that the training was basically theoretical even on aspects that should have (based on the researchers' well founded meaning) been practical. In terms of content in the curriculum, the department was giving quite an elaborate range of course units and a good number of them were found to be relevant to the work that the graduates were doing. The curriculum had however some shortcomings. The major component lacking in the curriculum was Information Communication Technology (ICT), and the graduates thought it was very vital, if they were to perform their work effectively. The common pedagogical approach used by the teaching staff during the teaching was lecture method. This was reported to be more theoretical even on practical aspects in the curriculum. Other approaches used, but on a small scale, were field placements during the recess terms, group tasks and discussions. The study concluded that ACE training programme at Kyambogo University was relevant to the activities the graduates participated in while at work. Although the content was relevant, th􀁾 theoretical mode of teaching had its shortcomings in terms of equipping the graduates with relevant skills required by the labour market. The detachment of the theory from the practice cannot equip the graduates with the practical skills required of them to perform practical tasks. The study recommends that the department should adopt a more ''hands-on" approach to teaching which can involve the learners practically so as to help them see the connections between the theory-based 􀁿d the practice-based learning by moving, as learners, from practice to theory and back again.