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In July 2000, following the G-8 summit, Cisco systems, inc., United Nations Development Program, the US Agency for International Development (Leland Initiative/EDDI United Nations Volunteers (UNITeS), announced the formation of a strategic partnership to help train students in the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) for jobs in the internet economy through the Cisco Networking Academy Program. Since the launch of the LDC initiative, Cisco systems and UNV have successfully incorporated job placement, gender recruitment and sustainability initiatives within their projects.
In Uganda, the UNV/Cisco partnership was started in 2004 when the first International UNV, Mr. Tariq Mohammed, was recruited. The United Nations Volunteer and the Faculty of Computing and information Technology Regional Academy discovered a missing link between graduates of the Academy Program and employers in Uganda looking for skilled workers. The UNV Tariq Mohammed worked with the University and other academies to begin establishing a Workforce Development program. The program had several components:
- Students were given tips on CV writing and interviewing skills to ensure that they would be prepared to properly demonstrate their qualifications for the job market.
- The academy started building partnerships with potential employers so that they would be of the pool of trained workers being produced in their country. Through partnerships with the private sector, government and civil society, the workforce Development program enables Cisco students and graduates to be ready to tackle the demands of the ICT labour market.
Makerere University Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (FCIT) was one of the first ever Academies to formalize this program and has networking with IT professionals.
Through the continued cooperation of between UNV/Cisco partnerships, a new National UNV, Mr Richard Okou was recruited in November 2004 to strengthen the workforce development program, gender initiatives and sustainability of the Cisco Networking Program in Uganda. In enhancing the workforce development program at FCIT, the UNV together with the Legal main contact recruited a workforce Development Program Coordinator to promote the program in the Academy. Since then the program has spread to Uganda Christian University (UCU), Kampala International University (KIU) that are starting up with the program layout.
The National UNV together with the UNV programme Officer based at UNDP head quarters have established partnerships with Inspector General of Government (IGG) office, Amnesty Commission, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) and the UNV Country Office Team. Through these partnerships the Academy has and will be offering interns to assist the above mentioned offices improved their Information Technology departments.
Furthermore, under the Nuffic project (Netherlands funded) based at FCIT, the dean of the Faculty summoned the UNV office to invite female UNVs and other females from UN agencies to attend a free International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL). The 7 weeks training targeting females have strengthen the partnership between the Academy and UNV.
In the near future the UNV/Cisco partnership expects to recruit a new UNV to focus on the Gender initiative, as this is a major challenge for all the academies in Uganda. |
