Trainee page

Our Trainees

Do you want to develop your career, improve your research skills and contribute to better public services in your community? If you are currently enrolled in a University programme and live in Kampala, Mukono, Gulu, Mbarara, Jinja or Nairobi don’t hesitate to apply to SEMA’s Traineeship Programme.

APPLY FOR SEMA’s TRAINEESHIP

We select new trainees approximately four times a year, but applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are invited to fill out the form below.

The SEMA traineeship programme converges talented students from different universities in Uganda and Kenya to learn, practice and experience doing research to improve public service delivery in their communities. The traineeship provides for first-hand work experience, while also giving youth an opportunity to contribute directly to SEMA’s mission to improve accountability of public services. Selected trainees take part in a 9-month intensive programme of training and fieldwork, where they can develop their own professional careers within SEMA’s friendly and professional environment. The SEMA traineeship currently only supports Ugandan and Kenyan youth.

Our traineeship impact survey identified that the first cohort of SEMA trainees (formerly known as volunteers, 2018-2019) greatly improved their soft skills (communication – 100%, leadership – 90%, critical thinking – 90%, teamwork – 90% and work ethic – 90%) in the course of their time at SEMA. This in turn improved their chance of employment, as 80% of the trainees were employed within the year of their traineeship. 70% of the trainees believed that their chances of getting employed increased a lot after volunteering with SEMA. Finally, 80% of SEMA trainees have recommended university students to apply for the traineeship program.

Training

SEMA’s trainees receive regular soft- and hard skills training that is beneficial to their personal development and any professional career. The programme includes group training, individual assignments, field data collection and mentorship from professional experts in research. At the end of the traineeship, trainees have developed a range of hard research skills, such as interviewing and data-analysis, as well as soft skills such as communication skills, critical thinking, team work, leadership and work ethic. Successful trainees are rewarded with a certificate at the end of the programme to validate their skills for future employment.

Rewarding

SEMA acknowledges the trainees effort to learn and appreciates their hard work by giving them monthly rewards, including announcing the outstanding trainee of the month.This monthly award is based on elements of timeliness, reliability, motivation, data quality and effective communication of the trainees to encourage them in stepping up the game each month in their performance. Outstanding trainees also get an opportunity to take separate learning tracks at the SEMA department of their choice.

Trainees of the month

Yatuha Lorine

Kampala

Lorine is very hardworking and diligent especially in the field and is great help when working with her in the field. She is also very understanding.

Babiita Kisakye Gertrude

Jinja

Friendly, encourages teamwork, reliable, capacity building has been perceived relatively both from experience from the clients and the public officers to be secure and openly relevant to my mindset as wll as engagement during our operations.

Olupot Calvin

Mukono

He knows how to interact with people, hardworking, very dedicated to the task of the day and always willing to learn and help when asked.