The SPARKLE Learning Path in Electrotechnology for the Healthcare Sector is a concrete outcome of the D2.2 Country Snapshots – Electrotechnology Gap Analysis developed in Uganda and Sierra Leone.

These national studies, coordinated by IAL FVG under the SPARKLE Strategic Process, analysed the skill shortages and training priorities in the electrotechnical field, particularly where electrical technologies intersect with healthcare, renewable energy, and digital systems.

The Country Snapshots revealed a consistent pattern:

• Both countries require stronger core competencies in electrical engineering, safety, testing, and automation.
• Yet, their application contexts differ — Uganda focusing on hospital infrastructures and public health energy systems, Sierra Leone on industrial, mining, and telecom applications.

Starting from this dual reality, the SPARKLE partners designed a competence-based, modular learning path, aligned with the objectives of the ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CB-VET Call and consistent with Guideline 2 – Design and Structuring of Learning Modules.

The path follows EQF and EQAVET quality logic, uses ESCO terminology, and integrates E-CF competence descriptors, ensuring European transparency and local applicability.

The SPARKLE Learning Path is built upon the guiding principle of “shared foundations and contextual specialisations.”

It operates as a dual-track system that merges regional coherence with national relevance, responding directly to the findings of the D2.2 reports.

1. An 800-hour Shared Core Path – common to both Uganda and Sierra Leone – provides fundamental and transversal competences in electrotechnology, automation, safety, renewable energy, and digitalisation. This ensures shared technical language, standardised learning outcomes, and easier cross-country recognition.

2. A 200-hour National Specialisation – unique for each country – applies the analytical results of the Country Snapshots to real environments, integrating specific tools, regulations, and work-based contexts:

• Uganda: hospital energy systems, solar mini-grids for public health, preventive maintenance, and quality control of medical power circuits.
• Sierra Leone: hybrid solar–diesel systems, LV/MV testing and panel verification, and regulatory compliance in mining and telecom sectors.

Each module is self-contained, microcredential-oriented, and designed according to EQF levels 3–5.

Teaching approaches include Work-Based Learning (WBL), job-shadowing, and project-based learning, while terminology and competences follow the ESCO and E-CF frameworks to foster transparency and international recognition.

This dual structure makes the Learning Path both evidence-based and scalable, providing a sustainable tool for VET institutions to build technical capacity in healthcare electrotechnology and support Africa’s energy transition.

The SPARKLE Learning Path has been intentionally designed to serve diverse target groups within the vocational training ecosystem — including employed, unemployed, and underemployed individuals.
This inclusive approach directly reflects the findings of the D2.2 Country Snapshots, which identified unequal access to structured technical training and the need for both entry-level access and advanced reskilling opportunities.

• For employed technicians, the Learning Path offers modular specializations and microcredentials (e.g., automation, testing, and digital maintenance) that strengthen professional growth and career mobility.
• For unemployed or underemployed learners, it provides accessible entry points (EQF level 3) to acquire employable skills in basic installations, safety, and renewable energy systems.
• Across all groups, the inclusion of Work-Based Learning (WBL) and job-shadowing ensures real workplace exposure and supports the transition from training to employment.

By combining shared technical foundations with differentiated entry levels and flexible micro-units, the SPARKLE Learning Path contributes to social inclusion, employability, and lifelong learning — all key objectives of the Erasmus+ CB-VET programme.

The structure of the SPARKLE Learning Path translates the analytical findings of the D2.2 Country Snapshots into a coherent, competence-based training design. It defines a comprehensive 1,000-hour pathway, combining a shared 800-hour core — common to both Uganda and Sierra Leone — with 200 hours of country-specific specialisation for each national context. This modular architecture reflects the principles of flexibility, microcredential accumulation, and progression through EQF levels 3 to 5, ensuring that learners acquire both foundational and applied skills relevant to the healthcare sector. Each module is self-contained, linked to measurable learning outcomes, and delivered through a balanced mix of theoretical instruction, work-based learning (WBL), and digital practice, consistent with the EQAVET quality cycle and the ESCO and E-CF competence frameworks.

A. 800-hour Shared Core Path
(Common to both Uganda and Sierra Leone – ensuring EQF/EQAVET coherence)

Total Shared Core: 800 hours

B. 200-hour Uganda-Specific Specialization
(Derived from the Uganda Country Snapshot – D2.2 Gap Priorities)

Uganda Specialization Total: 200 hours
Total Uganda Pathway: 1000 hours

C. 200-hour Sierra Leone-Specific Specialization
(Derived from the Sierra Leone Country Snapshot – D2.2 Gap Priorities)

Sierra Leone Specialization Total: 200 hours
Total Sierra Leone Pathway: 1000 hours

The SPARKLE Learning Path combines competence-based education, work-based learning, and digital innovation. It promotes hands-on experience through job-shadowing, internships, and simulation-based training, while embedding quality assurance principles consistent with EQAVET.

Each module can generate a microcredential with clear learning outcomes, enabling learners to accumulate evidence of competencies and progress toward full qualification. Modules are taught through a mix of:

• theoretical input and guided practice,
• contextual problem-solving tasks,
• teamwork, case studies, and on-site observation.

To enhance the flexibility and accessibility of learning, the SPARKLE partners have designed a set of digital and multimedia resources that complement the modular structure of the Learning Path. These tools support blended delivery and promote active, experiential learning, allowing trainees to visualise complex electrotechnical concepts and practice essential operations even in resource-limited environments. Each digital resource—videos, focus slides, and interactive tools—corresponds to one or more modules within the 800-hour shared core, reinforcing key competences in measurement, protection, safety, and diagram interpretation. Together, they form a “digital learning mask” that integrates theory, visual explanation, and hands-on simulation in line with EQF, EQAVET, and E-CF learning standards.

Graduates of the SPARKLE Learning Path will:

• possess comprehensive skills in installation, testing, and maintenance of electrical and renewable systems in healthcare environments;
• demonstrate capacity to apply automation, safety, and digital tools in real settings;
• operate in compliance with ERA/EWRC, IEC, and ECOWAS standards;
• and contribute to national electrification and healthcare resilience goals.

For institutions, this path:

• provides a structured and replicable model for VET curricula in electrotechnology;
• fosters mutual recognition between Uganda and Sierra Leone through shared standards;
• and enhances the visibility of African VET systems within European quality frameworks.

The SPARKLE Learning Path transforms the analytical evidence of the D2.2 Country Snapshots into a coherent and actionable training framework. It bridges the shared regional foundation of electrotechnology with the specific operational needs of Uganda and Sierra Leone — advancing a dual vision: common quality and contextual adaptation.

By integrating EQF/EQAVET methodology, ESCO terminology, and E-CF digital competence logic, this model provides a sustainable and scalable blueprint for future capacity-building initiatives in the vocational training of electrotechnical professionals. It embodies the mission of SPARKLE: to power skills for healthcare, resilience, and innovation across Africa.