SPARKLE: EMERGENCY Joins New Training Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa

Temi:

EMERGENCY is participating in SPARKLE (Supporting Productive jobs, Awareness and Resilience through Knowledge and Learning for Electrotechnicians) a training initiative focused on Sierra Leone and Uganda.

SPARKLE fits into the context of the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system of the sub-Saharan area, particularly of Uganda and Sierra Leone, considering the current problems and challenges that slow down their competitiveness and attractiveness, causing a knock-on effect that leads to poor support to the economic and social development of the territories in the face of high birth rates, unemployment, undeclared work and migration flows.

The exchange of the TVETs of Uganda and Sierra Leone with other TVET institutes and organisations dedicated to the training and job placement of citizens with consolidated experience in the Programme Countries intends to promote, through bidirectional exchange dynamics, the construction of collaboration networks between public and private actors and to foster the capacity of the TVET ecosystem to respond to the actual needs of the socio-economic structure of the territory, in particular of the sectors with strong innovative connotation, such as the electro-technical-sanitary one.

The rationale of the project is based on constant twinning, coaching and support between partners in the Programme Countries and TVET from the sub-Saharan area with a bottom-up approach. VET providers and other social development organisations intend to support VET providers in the sub-Saharan area to improve their capacity-building of innovative training offers that guarantee decent and productive jobs, in line with the needs of the area and in compliance with national green and digital economic development policies.

Capacity-building activities are structured in 5 clusters, addressing specific areas of work:

Construction of integrated training offer development strategy (analysis, development, testing and validation phases)
Practical application of the strategies to the electrical/healthcare sector
Staff mobility for CB activities
Creation of networks among TVET, private companies and humanitarian organisations
Sharing and replicability of models to other contexts in the area and to other countries.

SPARKLE – Supporting Productive jobs, Awareness and Resilience through Knowledge and Learning for Electrotechnicians

Erasmus + CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE FIELD OF VET

Project n° 101182990

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

UPDATES

The Erasmus+ SPARKLE Partnership Meets in Milan, Italy

On 17 November, 2025, the SPARKLE Partnership was welcomed at Casa EMERGENCY in Milan. EMERGENCY, a core partner in the project, plays a crucial role within the consortium. With its extensive experience operating in Uganda and Sierra Leone, EMERGENCY serves as a vital link connecting the European and African partners.

Looking ahead, the next in-person appointment in 2026 will be the mobility in both Sierra Leone and Uganda. During these activities, an EMERGENCY technician will conduct training sessions for the trainers, presenting and explaining the information modules specifically developed for this capacity-building project.

For more information on the activities and results, visit the SPARKLE Project OER platform: www.sparkledigitalopenspace.eu

The Erasmus+ SPARKLE Partnership Meets in Entebbe, Uganda

On June 2, 2025, the SPARKLE partnership was hosted at EMERGENCY’s Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe for its second Transnational Project Meeting.

The partnership addressed key topics for the implementation of the project, and is now engaged in research and analysis of needs and skills gaps in the electrotechnical sector in Uganda and Sierra Leone.

These activities are essential to identify which electrotechnical skills are most in demand among the various stakeholders involved (industries, vocational training institutions, trade unions, etc.) and to develop high-quality educational materials, which will be made freely available in the SPARKLE Open Digital Space.