20 CREEC TECHNICIANS ASSESSED BY DIT
On 28th March 2019, CREEC experienced her first assessment for solar technicians by the Directorate of Industrial Training under the Ministry of Education. 20 solar technicians underwent this assessment after having completed a two week training course starting from 28th January 2019 to 9th February 2019 in Mbale district. This was under the Lets Go Solar campaign which was designed as a consumer protection and awareness program. The complimentary campaign was designed to not only give people in off grid communities access to good quality solar products but also ensured that there were skilled personnel to install solar systems. The assessment was executed by two examiners from DIT who supervised a series of four hour practical exams.
A trainee after making a successful installation during a solar training in Mbale district.
This particular project was executed with the help of strong partnerships with the Uganda Solar Energy Association an umbrella for all solar companies distributing quality products, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and Energy without Borders a key partner in the execution of renewable energy exhibitions with funding from the United National Capital Development Fund and DFID.
The two week training was well attended by companies under USEA which further strengthened the skill set of the technicians in the association. We are expecting our technicians to get their workers PAS certificates after results from the assessment are compiled. This will set them apart as professionals who have been trained and prepare them for opportunities in solar installation. After the training, participants were able to size and set up solar systems for different home sizes. CREEC has used solar technician trainings to improve the quality of solar energy installations which encourages the uptake of the solar energy technology. In 2019, CREEC has made strong partnerships on capacity building that could lead up to over 200 technicians trained in 2019 alone.