Skills Development/Capacity Building
NITA-U partnered with Makerere University, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology to develop an International BPO training Programme. The BPO Training Programme was launched at the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (CIT) on 17th January 2011 by the Rt. Hon Prime Minister (represented by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of EAC Affairs). The training was being subsidised by Government as part of the incentive to grow the industry and provide jobs to the youth.
Five hundred (500) participants have since graduated from the training during the first phase. a database has been created and availed to the BPO operators. The BPO operators have shown interest in recruiting all 500. We therefore need to train more youth – at least 3,000 in the next financial year to create a critical mass of BPO trained youth in Uganda.
To ensure sustainability, NITA-U is currently engaging Ministry of Education, Universities and other institutions of higher education to incorporate BPO training in their curriculums – starting within the next 2-3 years. This will ensure that we have graduates who can work in the BPO environment, right after University.
Government model call centre
NITA is in the process of setting up a model BPO call centre, which will be used to employ at least 300 people. The 90 seater call centre that will be housed on 3rd and 4th floor statistics house is expected to be ready by April 2012.
Three operators, Dhanush, Spanco and Techno brain, have been selected to operate in the centre.
NITA-U is developing incentive guidelines for other BPO operators, who will not be operating in the BPO centre.
NITA-U is also exploring and having discussions with other partners like Lake Victoria Information Communication Technology & Bio Tech Park (LAVIT) who offered Rent free space for BPO operations in Jinja to ensure that centres are set up up country.
Creation of an enabling environment for BPO in Uganda
To create an enabling environment for the BPO sector in Uganda, NITA-U is currently undertaking the following:
- Developing guidelines for the provision of Government incentives to BPO operators
- Developing the required BPO standards and accreditations
- Updating the national BPO strategy and roadmap for Uganda.
- Developing a strategy for Branding and marketing Uganda as a BPO destination.
- Developing IT infrastructure to support BPO operations in Uganda, by:
- Commercialising the NBI to deliver subsidized internet bandwidth
- Developing and connecting alternative link via Mutukula to NBI – to avoid single link via Kenya
- Developing the last mile connections of NBI to districts
