Introduction

This document outlines an invitation to tender for interested TVET Institutions to participate in the pilot to increase the effectiveness of full-time technical courses and internships in The Gambia. It sets out the scope and objectives of the pilot, the requirements of participating TVET Institutions and the quality criteria on which submissions will be assessed.

Scope and objectives of the pilot

The pilot is being overseen by the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the ICT sector and managed on a day-to-day basis by ITC.

The aim of the pilot is to develop and deliver a new full-time course to develop the skills and knowledge required for app developers and testers in The Gambia. The content and assessment of the course reflects a new occupational standard developed by the ICT SSC and an integrated six month internship to consolidate skills and knowledge and to develop competences.

The pilot aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Outline the skills, knowledge and competence that is required to be an app developer and tester in The Gambia.
  • Develop and deliver a full-time course to develop the skills and knowledge required to become an app developer and tester in The Gambia that reflects the needs of the sector.
  • Develop and deliver a structured internship programme that consolidates the skills and knowledge learnt in the classroom and develop competence in the workplace

In addition to attempting to address the current skills shortage for app developers and testers, the pilot will test a number of key aspects of development and course content delivery that can be rolled out across the Gambia:

  • Development of courses directly linked to national occupational standards
  • Structured internships, including work-based assessment and assessment of mentor competences
  • Promotional activities and bespoke selection centers to attract a broader cohort of students on the course
  • Assessment of the suitability of TVET institutions to have the capacity to run specific areas of provision.

The pilot will support 25 students to undertake the course and internship.

 


 

Requirements of TVET Institutions

The SSC for the ICT sector is looking for up to three TVET Institutions to take part in the pilot.

Successful TVET Institutions will be required to deliver a 12 month full-time course, in addition to supporting an internship programme. The course structure and assessment will be approved by the SSC and it would be envisaged that successful TVET Institutions will be invited to contribute to the development of the course.

Delivery will include:

Promotion: a promotional campaign will be embarked upon to attract students. Successful TVET Institutions will be invited to help inform the development of the campaign and they would be expected to take part in activities to support it.

Selection: the TVET institutions would collaborate to run one or more selection centres to select 25 students. The selection centres would test the students’ interests and motivation to pursue a career in this area. The selection centres would be expected to involve interaction between the students and employers, as well as provide practical tasks to provide students with a better understanding of the role.

Training and development of trainers: Allocated trainers will undertake training and development to familiarise themselves with the course, to discuss techniques to deliver key content and to address any key skill gaps identified by NAQAA and ITAG in their assessment

Delivery of full-time course: The TVET Institution would deliver the full-time programme, ensuring that the course emphasizes practical, hands on experience.  The TVET Institution would also be expected to provide ongoing pastoral support and help the students overcome any practical challenges that would prevent them from completing the course.

Interviews to pair students with companies for internship: The TVET Institution will collaborate to provide opportunities for the students to be interviewed by the employers to best link a student with an internship opportunity. The TVET institution would be expected to prepare the students for the interviews in order to give them the skills to communicate effectively with the employers

Support internship: The TVET institution will monitor the progress of the students to ensure that they are progressing against the internship structure and overcoming any practical difficulties.

Undertake assessment: Assessment will be undertaken by the TVET Institution after every module and at the end of the internship. Employers and ITAG should be invited to take part in the assessment.


 

Scope of submission 

The submission will be expected to cover the following areas:

  • Expression of Interest
  • Experience of delivering similar courses
  • Current capacity in terms of facilities and teaching staff
  • Current employer engagement

The submission will need to include:

  • How many students out of the 25 you have the capacity to train
  • The names, contact details and experience of trainers that would deliver the course
  • Proposed training venue
  • How you will ensure practical, hands on delivery in relation to the occupational standard
  • Structure of Internship support
  • Direct costs of delivering the course

 

Reference document

Draft occupational standard for app developers and testers

 

Quality criteria

Submissions will be assessed against the following criteria:

Experience of delivering similar ICT provision: Successful TVET Institutions should demonstrate experience of delivering ICT courses aimed at those who wish to peruse employment in the sector

Demonstrate capacity to deliver programme: Successful TVET Institutions should demonstrate that they have the relevant equipment and capacity to effectively deliver the course to the number of students indicated in the submission

Demonstrate existing employer engagement: Successful TVET Institutions should demonstrate existing engagement with employers in the ICT sector and the nature of the engagement

Demonstrate experience of working in a pilot and being flexible: Successful TVET Institutions should demonstrate experience of working as part of a pilot and/or being flexible to adopt delivery to feedback

Cost: Successful TVET Institutions should submit a fully costed tender (technical and financial proposal) and demonstrate value for money.


 

Submitting tenders

Tenders should be submitted, together with CVs of those proposed to be involved in the delivery of the course to yusupha.keita@intracen.org and aji.gaye@intracen.org by 17.00 on 05th February 2020. They will then be assessed and shortlisted.

All shortlisted TVET Institutions will undergo an assessment of facilities and trainers by NAQAA in conjunction with ITAG. This will include an assessment of the current facilities of the TVET Institutions, as well an assessment of the competency levels of the trainers allocated to deliver the training

On the back of the assessment you may be asked to undertake an interview. Successful TVET Institutions will be notified by February 2020.

Any questions related to the tender should be directed to Kebba Secka on 7685864/5086202 or Martin-Christian Kent on martin-christian@kentconsulting.org