Edukans is an international NGO that was established in 2002 with Headquarters (HQ) in the Netherlands with country offices Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. Edukans International Uganda (EUJ) is part of Edukans Foundation is a locally registered INGO in Uganda since 2019, dedicated to unleashing the power of education. With over 30 years of international experience, Edukans focuses on quality basic education and skills development, striving to create opportunities for children and young people to shape their futures with confidence. Edukans aims to transform societies from within by addressing the root causes of insufficient education quality, such as the lack of good teachers and inadequate conditions.

Our mission is to strengthen the capacity of education and skills providers (Public /private) to deliver dynamic, relevant, inclusive and safe quality education for Uganda children and training in other essential skills required by the youth so as to achieve positive learning outcomes including productive employment.

The Skills Development Fund (SDF) is part of the action entitled Green and Decent Jobs for Youth (WeWork EU) in the sub-regions of 1) Kampala metropolitan; 2) Busoga and 3) West Nile, funded by the European Union. Edukans International Uganda in collaboration with Aspire Women Development International (AWDI) and Divine Youth Initiative (DYI) in Kampala and Wakiso districts has coded their response to this action as Empowering Agricultural Skills for Youth and Women for Green Growth (EASY) that aims to enhance the access to employment opportunities for vulnerable youth by equipping them with market-relevant vocational skills, financial literacy skills, practical experience through Work based learning (WBL), and business development support in the poultry and coffee value chains.

The intervention aims to contribute to sustainable economic growth and decent job creation in Uganda through four main actions;

i. Skilling - Improved quality, relevance of and access to formal & non-formal technical, vocational education and training; including for youth, women and people living in vulnerable situations, such as refugees

ii. Job and entrepreneurship promotion - Increased access to business development, financial, incubation services and opportunities for self-employed individuals and MSMEs in green/circular economy sectors; including youth of both sexes and women led enterprises

iii. Employment support – Increased access to decent job opportunities in companies, civil society and public sector for graduates and employees; including for youth and women

iv. Policy support - Strengthened public and private stakeholders’ capacities for dialogue, design and implementation of TVET and employment policies to address specific employment barriers and the need for green skills development

Part of this project involves conducting a comprehensive Labour Market Assessment (LMA) to identify industry trends, skill gaps, required skills by employers, employment opportunities in the poultry and coffee sectors within Wakiso and Kampala in Uganda.

Objective of the Labor Market Assessment

The main objective of the labour market research in the poultry and coffee value chain in Uganda is to establish green skills gaps with a particular focus on sustainability. The assessment is expected to provide insights that will support Edukans in collaboration with training providers and other stakeholders in the development of training programs that are focused on poultry and coffee value chains.

Specific objectives of the LMA include:

1. Assessing the current labour market needs and trends in the poultry and coffee value chain.

2. Assessing the existing green skills in the poultry and coffee value chain industry in relation to the labour market and interrogate employer on relevant skills required for the industry.

3. To identify what type of jobs are available in the market in the poultry and coffee value chain for the youths and women, with a special focus on highly demanded skills.

4. To provide an authoritative overview of current labour market trends and snapshots of businesses’ opinions on training and strategic skill needs as well as an overall assessment of economic, social and technical drivers of market growth for the poultry and coffee industry.

5. To assess the capacity of training service providers/TVETs in relation to the provision of identified market demanded courses.

6. Assessing the barriers and constraints that the poultry and coffee industry is facing in relation to job creation for youths and women; and how they are (will be) being addressed.

7. Establishing the needs of the poultry and coffee value chain skills and competencies needed to become more sustainable and that address climate change and decent work and environmental due diligence regulations.

SCOPE OF WORK

The assessment is to be conducted with a national outlook and more specific focus on the wider Kampala Metropolitan i.e. Kampala Capital City Authority, Nakawa Division and Namayumba Sub county, Wakiso District. The consultant is expected to:

i. Identify key stakeholders, including industry associations, employers, government agencies, and TVET institutions, in order to gather qualitative and quantitative information.
ii. Find out the most employable skills training courses that can be offered in EASY project.
iii. To assess demand and current integration of soft skills, entrepreneurial training, and life skills, which are crucial for employability.
iv. To explore emerging job roles and forecasted skills needs, especially those aligned with sustainability, digitalization, and Uganda’s Vision 2040.
v. Find out skill gaps in the market uncovered; this should be classified into:

• Specific type of jobs available and locations.

• Level of skill required, including attention to aspects of gender and location.

• Analyze gendered and youth-specific barriers to access and participation in skilling programs and work-based learning.
  vi. Visit and hold discussions with private employers to find out their attitude towards provision of work based learning, and identify ways to create stronger linkages with trainees.
  vii. Assess the capacity of training providers to deliver quality market-driven skills training with a particular focus on:

• Training center infrastructure: training classrooms, training equipment, washing and sanitary facilities, suitability of center location, etc.

• Instructors: Experience, level of education, trained or untrained, etc.

• Training center Management: center structure, capacity of leaders, staff, capacity to relate to private sector in identification of job competences and WBL arrangements; . etc.

• Working relation with MOES & assessment bodies and whether accredited by the government.

• Specifically, find out the capacity gaps for the provision of higher technical skills in order to establish pathways.

• investigate levels of co-creation between private sector employers and TVET institutions in poultry and coffee training programs.
  viii. Identify challenges faced by TVET graduates in getting employment, especially females, and persons with disabilities and provide relevant recommendations and ways of creating decent work for females and persons with disability.
  ix. Assess the existing curriculum used by training providers in the poultry and coffee value chains.
  x. Assess how private microfinance institutions provide small business loans and identify best approaches for linking TVET graduates to have access to such services.
  xi. Advice on innovative trades that are in demand and are not covered under the EASY project and/or are “new” to WeWork – Green and Decent Jobs for Youth that is worth exploring.
  xii. Map out baseline figures or aligning with project logframe/indicators.

METHODOLOGY:

The consultant/consulting firm is expected to come up with the best approaches for undertaking this labor Market assessments. However, the following guiding principles should be taken into consideration:
i. Desk review of secondary data including project documents, assessments, evaluations and previous labor market surveys.
ii. Interviews with private sector employers, skills training providers, TVETs, relevant government ministries (e.g. UVTEB) and private sector actors.
iii. Extensive mapping of labor market needs through primary data collection.
iv. Directly interviews with key staff undertaking the project.
v. Interview with previous a sample of the previous graduates to explore what trainings worked and what did not yield employment to avoid those that did not worked well.
vi. Any other methods applicable.

DOCUMENTS TO REVIEW:

Desk study review of all relevant documentation, including but not limited to: The project document (proposal); Enabel Tracer Study reports, Labour Market Survey reports; the TVET Policy for Uganda etc.

DATA ANALYSIS:

Data gathered using various methods and tools will to be collated, analyzed and interpreted systematically. Quantitative data will be analyzed using SSPS or other statistical data analysis programs available that can help generate the required information. Qualitative data will be analyzed for key themes and used to supplement quantitative data organized into themes. Both qualitative and quantitative data should be used to find out employable skills and assess the capacity of training service providers to offer such courses.

KEY DELIVERABLES:

i. Inception report: detailing the methodology including the main research methods, the sampling framework, proposed sources of data, procedures for data collection and analysis, and a draft but detailed table of contents. The proposed research tools will be discussed and approved by Edukans Team before data collection commences.
ii. Revised first Draft Final Report, incorporating suggestions and recommendations from the reference group. A second round of revision may be required before the final version of the Final Report can be produced.
iii. A final report (one electronic copy in PDF Format and one in DOC format).
iv. An electronic copy of all data collection tools and the labor market study data set.
v. A final presentation of the overall findings to the stakeholders for validation.

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNENT:

The duration of the assignment will be 15 days including travel days. This excluded number of off-days.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERTISE REQUIRED

i. Post-graduate degree in Social Sciences, Agriculture, Business, Economics, Statistics or related field.
ii. Minimum of 10 years relevant professional experience in research and labor market studies with a team of lead research, research expert and enumerators.
iii. Strong background and experience in data collection and analysis.
iv. Technical expertise in assessing issues of labor market demand and supply in Uganda, and the ability to draw strong and valid conclusions.
v. Strong knowledge of TVET, skills development programs is essential.
vi. Excellent communication and report writing skills.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates interested in the position are expected to provide the following documentation:

• A technical proposal with detailed response to the TOR, with specific focus on the scope of work, methodology to be used and key selection criteria for respondents.

• Initial work plan based on methodology outlined, and indication of availability.

• A financial proposal detailing the daily rate expected and other mode of payment.

• Company profile or CV including a minimum of 3 references.

• Detailed budget breakdown based on expected daily rates.

How to Apply:

Interested individuals /firms that meet the criteria are requested to submit their Technical and Financial proposals, to uganda@edukans.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(59, 130, 246); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-radius: 6.858px; border-width: 2px 3px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;">uganda@edukans.org and cc miriam@edukans.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(59, 130, 246); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-radius: 6.858px; border-width: 2px 3px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;">miriam@edukans.org Please write “Labour Market Assessment – WeWork” followed by “Applicant’s Name” on the subject line in one PDF file. Deadline for application is July 28th 2025.

Disclaimer: Edukans does not accept any kind of breach on integrity that includes but is not limited to fraud, bribery, corruption, conflict of interest and cross-border behaviour. In line with our Code of Conduct, employees are obliged to report any breach. Edukans has a zero-tolerance policy on not-acting upon a breach. The content of this e-mail is confidential. If you have received it by mistake, please inform us by an email reply and then delete the message. It is forbidden to copy, forward, or in any way reveal the contents of this message to anyone who is not authorized to have access to it.