The TVET-BiWe Partnership Project implemented with the funds of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via sequa gGmbH, joins hands with Rwanda Polytechnic to provide an In-Company Instructor (ICI) Training to in-company trainers, for the latter to acquire a pedagogical methodology that leads them to support apprentices.
In-Company Learning Instructor (ICI) training curriculum was validated in 2019, with the aim of providing skills, knowledge and attitudes for an In-company/Workplace Learning Instructor to be competent in a range of training-related tasks and activities of a defined workplace learning context. The In-company Instructor’s work is undertaken in various workplaces where apprentices’ preparation, training delivery and assessment are performed at the workplace in an inclusive way.
The TVET-BiWe Partnership Project is working closely with more than 31 companies that receive students for the practical phase of dual training in both welding and plumbing trades. The trained young people gain practical skills for their carriers and become competent on the labour market.
Maximillien Niyonsaba an ICI Qualified Trainer and Lecturer at IPRC Kigali said that there is a gap in companies to strengthen young people with the necessary skills for the labour market. But with the ICI Training and continuous assessment, he believes that all facilitators will be able to support young people to do their apprenticeship.
“Companies that offer opportunities for apprenticeship and job placement to the apprentices supported by BiWe, are a major factor in their success but it will be more effective if the employees of companies are well trained to empower those apprentices”, Maximillien said.
Sometimes, technicians in companies lack a methodology to transfer their knowledge to learners and ignore how to assess their continuous improvement.
Jean de Dieu Ndagijimana, one of the employees from WASAC who attended the ICI training said, “I have changed completely my mindset on how I usually support trainees. Before this training organized by the TVET-BiWe Partnership Project and Rwanda Polytechnic, I did not have time to interact with apprentices under my supervision. From now on, with them, we will be sitting and doing our plan together.”
Evariste Habinshuti from Hôtel des Mille Collines said, “This training has guided me to separate major courses for trainees so that they can get more time to try instead of fail to try.”
In November 2017, the TVET-BiWe Partnership Project started to target interventions for youth empowerment through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme with a focus on the dual system.