By Pius Kikomeko
The establishment of a Career Employability Hub was the focus of a targeted engagement held on 6th November 2025 by the School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University. The event brought together experts from CADENA, a firm contracted under the UNESCO-CFIT III project, alongside university leadership, faculty, and key industry partners. The initiative aims to translate recent curriculum reform efforts into practical pathways for student employability by aligning competency-based education with evolving labour market needs, thereby enhancing the relevance and impact of academic training.
CADENA supports capacity building in African higher education to better align university outputs with national skills needs. Under this program, CADENA conducted a curriculum review and delivered competency‑based education (CBE) training for School of Engineering staff, and a career employability workshop for students and staff. The session held on 6th on November aimed to take the next step, show how the toolkit CADENA developed can be used to set up an on‑campus Career Employability Hub.
CEDAT staff, Dr. Donna Namujju opened the session, welcoming the CADENA delegation led by Mr. Peter Merckx, together with Mr. Klavs Christensen and Prof. Marco Turco. The meeting included representatives from industry and ecosystem partners including the CEO of Lwera Electronics and Semiconductors, delegates from the Stanbic Bank Incubator, China Communications Construction Company and other stakeholders.
Mr. Peter Merckx presented the CADENA scope of work under UNESCO-CFIT III, including the countries covered and the methodology used to support universities in transitioning to competency‑based approaches. Mr. Klavs Christensen shared findings from his curriculum evaluation at Makerere University School of Engineering, summarizing stakeholder feedback collected from lecturers, students, alumni, and industry. The feedback highlighted gaps in the current curriculum and reinforced the principle that industry must play a central role in defining the competencies graduates need for the workplace.
Prof. Marco Turco introduced CADENA’s toolkit for establishing and enhancing a Career Employability Hub. The toolkit is designed to complement technical teaching by equipping students with the career skills that employers value, improving their competitiveness in recruitment and entrepreneurship.
The toolkit presentation emphasized several strategic insights for the development and implementation of the Career Employability Hub at Makerere University’s School of Engineering. Central to the hub’s mission is the goal of bridging the gap between classroom learning and employer expectations, empowering graduates to recognize and act on opportunities. The hub is envisioned as a gateway, bringing students to the threshold of opportunity and equipping them with the tools to step through. A key recommendation was the integration of employability programming directly into academic curricula. By embedding these initiatives within existing teaching practices, institutions can deliver high-impact outcomes without requiring significant additional funding.
The presentation also highlighted the importance of adopting tailored pedagogical approaches that resonate with Generation Z learners, ensuring greater engagement and improved learning outcomes. Furthermore, the toolkit underscored the need to strengthen ties with industry, particularly the informal sector, which plays a significant role in graduate employment and often dictates the practical skills needed in the workforce.
CADENA and Makerere School of Engineering will work together to operationalise the toolkit into a phased plan for a campus Career Employability Hub. The plan will pilot classroom‑integrated interventions, formalise employer advisory inputs into curricula, and map partnerships with both formal and informal sector employers to expand placement and entrepreneurship opportunities for students.