PROJECT PROPOSAL TO USE RECORDED VIDEO LESSONS TO TEACH YOUTH EMPLOYABLE SKILLS

Title of the Project: USING RECORDED VIDEO LESSONS TO TEACH YOUTH EMPLOYABLE SKILLS

Location of Project: Kajjansi Trading Centre

Project Duration: 1 year

Goal of Project: To mobilise the youth in need of employable skills; and help develop their potential to income generating capacity through recorded video lessons in skills which when put to practice; they will be empowered to do business backed by the know how of the enterprise coupled with business management skills.

Target Groups: Beneficiaries to include those who dropped out of school due to failure to raise fees; girls who conceived in school; those without tuition to pay for commercial services to attainment employable skills;  the orphaned and vulnerable children and the disabled and those who have not succeeded academically

Project Summary: Using Recorded Video Lessons to Teach Youth Employable Skills is a cost effective strategy which will use recorded teachings/management of various enterprises by experts; which the youth will sample from given their interest and ability to employ gained skills for work.  The experts shall have full sessions of their training recorded on video in areas like poultry management; piggery & dairy cattle; cottage and small-scale industries of juice and milk processing, bakery, and honey processing.  Project located in Uganda – Kajjansi Trading centre.  Theme: ‘Video Based Training to Enhance Youth employment,’ an environment to promote Youths learning job trades using recorded video. Objectives: Help unemployed youth get employable skills; incorporate business management skills in profitable enterprise running; help youths appreciate themselves as having ability to earn for themselves a living; reduce on number in delinquency and use of drugs; counter youth frustration.  Duration: 8 months.  It is projected to 480 beneficiaries; youth from 14 - 30 years, unemployed and lacking in employable skills.  Activities: Record teaching sessions by experts on various enterprise management skills; inform youth about the project and encourage them to join training; schedule out the relaying of the recorded videos; have interested youth attend predetermined video session schedules on a given enterprise; at end of each session, entertain questions to be answered the expert; undertake monitoring and evaluation.  Methods used: Youth to be categorized given level of education/ability to manage enterprise; video to relay on big screen the information, questions to be encouraged at end of session.

Problem Analysis: This project seeks to address the ever increasing at an increasing rate of unemployment of youth in Uganda.  According to the Uganda Investment Authority and Uganda Bureau of Statistics, of the more than 400,000 Ugandans who enter the labour market every year, only 113,000 are absorbed in formal employment, the balance of 287,000 are left as job seekers and this figure is cumulative!  When Uganda joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Youth Day for 2009, the theme was, ‘Youth unemployment’ – “a critical challenge for all.” In the case of Uganda, the theme is "Youth unemployment: A critical challenge for all". There is no better way to show how critical unemployment is in the country. 

Outcomes: An estimated 480 youth will have skills to undertake enterprise management profitably; a number of cottage industries will take off hence increased local production; increased production of products from cottage industries; reduced job seekers; it is possible that other people will learn from the project and replicate it elsewhere; reduced youths involved in delinquency and use of drugs; increased employment on having would be unemployed youth in employment; having more viable enterprises which are not a gamble; shall have a group that can viably get credit backed by ability to manage the enterprises and business skills for the enterprises ventured into hence lower risk to financiers. Results will be calculatable.

Activities: There will be reach – out to experts in identified fields for the youth video training; terms of reference to be agreed to with experts; recording of sessions by video camera to be undertaken till the whole package of training is completed; work to be edited, and copies of video series produced; a reach – out to youth through posters, meetings and FM Radio announcements about the programme; acquiring of training facility; purchase of seats and a big screen for showing the video recordings; interested youth to call on us and express areas of interest given background; ability to contribute a small fee to be accessed during interview; making the schedules for the video training; fitting the trainees according to schedules; training to be covered in 6 months; awarding successful trainees certificates after some exams. 

Outputs: The recording of video training schedules will lead to tangible recorded training sessions for  various enterprising skills for the youth; the training of 480 youths means that a figure about 480 will be of youth previously without enterprising skills, but will be skillful on completion of the video training and answering schedule as well as after sitting a set exam; acquiring of an equiped training facility which was not in place; the evaluation for the trainees will be made from the assessment of their participation in class interaction/discussion and in marks gained in the set exams.  The evaluation however will extend beyond period of the project as a follow up to those that will successful get enterprises off ground. 

Risks: The risks include the cost of getting each expert to be recorded which may vary from each of them, hence making our final coverage smaller in terms of the different areas of coverage for the youth to benefit from; secondly, the cost element as the experts may wish to be paid whenever we refer questions to them; third a great influx of students wanting our assistance with out picking any bill.  There may be trainees who are irregular meaning that they may constrain progress.  These will be assisted to catch up.  Regarding experts demands, we shall try to negotiate, and in case of failure to agree, we shall identify a cheaper offer.  As for trainees we shall re – assess them.

Innovation: The innovativeness of the project is that it is going to use recorded video as compared to when teachers would physically stand in front of the youths to train the skills.  This is a very cost effective method; and a number of youths stand to benefit which would not be the case with teachers physically being present to have each session off.  With the innovation, it is possible to have sessions one after the other when the cost of the recording was long paid for and it is possible to open many more centres and disseminate the knowledge to so many youth which means has a lot of multiplier effects that are cost effective. The value added is that having incurred the cost of recording; it will be possible to train so many youth and have a number of other centres with the same training materials.   

Sustainability:  The project will continue to operate as many of the trainees shall pay some money for the service. It is only those who will prove unable to raise some tuition money that will be assisted.  We also hope to sell off some of the videos to other interests who may wish to train youths given the gravity of the matter.  We shall also consider an organization for the former trainees and through this organization; the former trainees shall be expected to make some contribution periodically to the good health of the organization.  The organization shall also make appeals to donor organizations if need arises.  We also hope that in our second year of operation shall look to organizations locally in Uganda that may help in sponsoring youth groups to get the training.