What is the Workforce Development Program?
The Workforce Development Program is an initiative led by educational institutions to give students and graduates of the Cisco Networking Academy Program practical experience in Ugandas growing ICT sector. Through partnerships with the private sector, government and civil society, the Workforce Development Program enables Cisco students and graduates to be ready to tackle the demands of the ICT labour market.

What are Worksite Tours?
Worksite tours are very vital in the education systems in Uganda and Africa in general. The Cisco courses are practical oriented but a number of issues arise when it comes to the practical lessons. Considering that every Cisco student is entitled to using the equipment, the frequency of the equipment failure is high and sometimes the interns who are in-charge of repairs are not able to resurrect them resulting in lost time for practice. Also, the students find it hard to appreciate the lab work done because they are based on simulations where any fault occurrences that occur can easily be corrected. In comparison to the real world, where room for mistakes is minimal, simulations alone are not enough. Therefore, through worksite tours Cisco students are given opportunities to relate real world scenarios with the classroom environment. Hence, by taking our Cisco students to the field to see how the equipment really works and to prove to them that the equipment used is similar to the ones used in the classrooms, the students are motivated to study further.

What are Talk Sessions?
The number of dropouts in the Cisco academies in Uganda is not alarming but is sometimes worrying and this calls for direct intervention through talk sessions. Just like any student in the world, these Cisco students need encouragement from IT professionals and others considering that they come from different backgrounds. The Cisco academy has a large number of students and the academy therefore provides talk sessions twice a month to reach out to all the students. The topics vary from Satellites as a WAN technology to MP3 technology etc

What are Internship and employment opportunities?
Internship can be explained as a part-time job during the academic year in which a student receives supervised practical training in their field. Internships are often very closely related to the student's academic and career goals, and may serve as a precursor to professional employment. Some internships provide very close supervision by a mentor in an apprenticeship-like relationship. Internship are also taken as time for the students to apply the theory that they have acquired throughout there academic years.

What are testimonies?
Written statement from a Cisco student, extolling the virtue of the WDP services in term of work site tours talk sessions, internship/job opportunities and anything else deemed relevant to the cause of the WDP.

Who to contact at the WDP?

Charles Halonda-Funa
WDP coordinator
Tel: 078 512 897 (cell)
041 540 628 (office)
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots.

Who is an alumnus?
A person who has received a Degree, Diploma, or Certificate from the School of Computing and IT at Makerere University.

Where is WDP?
Makerere University
School of Computing and IT
Cisco Office, 6th Floor

How to obtain a partnership with WDP/CIT?
Interested parties should get in touch with the WDP coordinator for further details and instructions.

How to obtain an internship?
Interested students should; Register online at the http://wdp.cit.ac.ug website. Get in touch with the WDP coordinator

Who is a partner/employer?
An organization (public or private) that has; Registered at the WDP website Willing to fully participate and adhere to the WDP objectives.