In a bid to equip young women with relevant, market-driven skills and improve their transition into employment and sustainable enterprises, artisans and agribusiness practitioners under the Uganda Rural Development and Training Institute (URDT-I) participated in a two-day Curriculum Review Workshop for Assessment and Training Packages (ATPs) held at URDT-I from September 15th–16th, 2026.
The workshop brought together artisans, agribusiness practitioners and URDT-I staff who are expected to provide skills training to young women across 20 districts and four refugee settlements under the Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways (SIYEP).
The curriculum review focused on ensuring that the ATPs are updated in line with national job standards and current industry requirements. The improvements are intended to equip young women with practical, market-relevant skills that can enable them to transition into employment, establish sustainable businesses and improve their livelihoods, while reducing overdependence on their gatekeepers.
According to Morren Ayesiga, Technology and Innovation Lead at URDT-I, the workshop was aimed at reviewing and improving the training curriculum to ensure that trainers are equipped with relevant content and effective approaches for the new training phase.
“The workshop was aimed at reviewing and improving the curriculum to ensure that trainers are equipped with relevant content and approaches for the new training phase,” Ayesiga explained.
The review also strengthened the alignment of the ATPs with Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) assessment tools and standards. This will help ensure that the skills delivered by artisans correspond with the assessment requirements, including the appropriate cutting lists and practical competencies expected of trainees.
The revised ATPs will also be aligned with the current Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework, while integrating value-chain development, post-production practices, value addition, innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging industry skills into the training modules.
The review further considered the relevance of module content, training duration, assessment methods and training materials to ensure that they are up-to-date, practical and aligned with industry needs.
Speaking during the workshop, Robert Katabazi the director of Education and training at URDT encouraged agribusiness practitioners to shift their focus from production alone to value addition, noting that processing and adding value to agricultural products can create additional income opportunities and strengthen the sustainability of young women’s businesses.
He also encouraged the practitioners to effectively transfer their knowledge and practical experience to the young women they will train, enabling them to apply the acquired skills in real-world business and employment settings.
Meanwhile, Robert Sunday Alule, Project Manager, commended the artisans and agribusiness practitioners for their active participation in the curriculum review process.
Alule urged the trainers to adhere to the guidance and recommendations arising from the workshop and maintain strong collaboration with URDT-I and its partners throughout the training process.
“Your active participation in reviewing these training packages is important because you are the people who will translate the revised content into practical skills for the young women. I encourage you to follow the guidance provided during this workshop and continue working closely with URDT-I and its partners,” Alule said.
Some of the artisans and agribusiness practitioners who participated in the workshop pledged to implement the improvements and adjustments made to the ATPs. They noted that the revised curriculum would enable them to deliver more relevant, practical and quality training to the young women.
The curriculum review is part of URDT-I’s efforts to strengthen the quality and relevance of skills development under SIYEP, ensuring that young women acquire competencies that respond to labour-market demands, entrepreneurship opportunities and the changing needs of different value chains.
Through the revised training packages, URDT-I and its partners seek to strengthen the capacity of young women to learn, work and earn, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to their households and communities.
