International development organisation Transaid has concluded phase two of its Professional Driver Training project in Uganda, with 890 predominantly HGV drivers being trained over a two-year period – exceeding the project’s original training goal by more than 15 per cent.
Delivered in partnership with local non-governmental organisation (NGO) Safe Way Right Way, the project set out to improve the standards of driver training in a country which suffers one of Africa’s worst road traffic incident rates, claiming an estimated 12,000 lives* a year.
Key to the project was the aim of encouraging more women into the sector, which Transaid believes will benefit transport companies, contribute to improved safety and generate new career opportunities for women.
Caroline Barber, Chief Executive of Transaid, says: “Uganda is experiencing a huge rise in demand for professional drivers, and we expect this to continue increasing over the coming years. Phase two of this project set challenging training goals, and it’s a testament to the hard work of the training team that we have surpassed those expectations.
“The fact that around 10 per cent of the trainees were women also demonstrates an appetite for a more inclusive workforce.”
The majority of drivers trained were acquiring an HGV licence for the first time, whilst around 15 per cent benefitted from refresher modules, having not previously received formal training from Safe Way Right Way. Transaid supported the refresher training with the roll-out of six new, short refresher courses – whilst all training was accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT).
The skills of Master Trainers and Trainers were bolstered, with Quality Assurance assessments and retraining. Transaid also supported Safe Way Right Way with marketing and business strategies to encourage more drivers and fleets to enrol.
Barber continues: “We were already proud of what was achieved in the first phase of this project between 2016 and 2020; this latest phase of work has helped to create a noticeable change that will last, well beyond our involvement in the project.”
Phase two was an initiative of the GIZ Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) programme, funded by the German and Norwegian governments.
Future recommendations for professional driver training in Uganda include an increased emphasis on fuel-efficient driving techniques, to improve sustainability, and the recruitment of female trainers to encourage continued involvement of female drivers.
For more information and to find out how you can support the organisation visit www.transaid.org.
*World Health Organisation, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018
ends
Note to Editor:
About Transaid
Transaid transforms lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport. Founded by Save the Children, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and its Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, the international development organisation works with communities, partners, and governments to solve transport challenges throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Transaid works in two core areas, road safety and access to health, to solve two of the biggest transport challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Transaid’s road safety work focuses on influencing safe driver behaviour with long term programmes in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, responding to local needs for improved training for drivers and riders of trucks, buses, motorcycles and forklift trucks. On the access to health side, Transaid is working with local partners and communities to strengthen access to health services, primarily in rural areas. They are also working to strengthen health supply chains in collaboration with local partners and governments.
Transaid enjoys strong backing from the transport and logistics industry and the active involvement of its patron, HRH The Princess Royal.
About Employment and Skills for Development in Africa:
Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) was a regional platform for employment promotion, focusing on seven sub-Saharan countries. E4D implemented development projects in cooperation with private and public sector partners, to bring people into jobs and improve employment situations. E4D prioritized economic empowerment of women, youth and entrepreneurs, and creation of jobs in sectors like manufacturing, construction and in green sub-sectors like renewable energy and organic agriculture. Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), E4D is co-funded by the European Union (EU), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and others. It is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
For further press information:
Maddy Matheson at Transaid +44 (0)20 7387 8136
Natalie Ganshert or James Keeler at Garnett Keeler PR +44 (0)20 8647 4467, or by email to natalie.ganshert@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
TRAN/423/24
