Mt. Elgon Labor-Based Training Center (MELTC) was established in 1995 by then Ministry of Works, Housing and communications with support from the Nordic Development Fund and backstopping from the International Labor Organization (ILO) . The Training Centre has since continued to receive support from the Government of Uganda and DANIDA through provision of additional infrastructure, training, operational costs and technical assistance. The Training Centre is now fully established as the national Labour Based Training Center in the country.
The mandate of the Centre is to develop capacity in both Public and Private sectors in the use of Labor Based methods for road construction. Labor based methods world over have proved to offer a lot of benefits in relation to employment creation besides being gender sensitive and environmentally friendly.
Since its establishment, over 360 staff from construction firms and staff from over 56 districts have been trained. Further, about 502km of gravel roads and 31.7km of Low Cost sealed roads have been constructed through trial roads and raining model roads creating over reasonable jobs
Vision
To be a Centre of Excellence for training and capacity building in the road sub sectornationally and in the region
Mission
In line with the policy on poverty alleviation, MELTC’s mission is to supplement the effort of Government to achieve sustainable development and maintenance of transport infrastructure to secure accelerated economic development.
Objective
To develop capacity in the private and public sectors for planning and implementation of road rehabilitation and maintenance using labour based methods in a manner responsive to environmental, gender and social concerns
Principal's Remarks
I am the Principal Executive Engineer in charge of the training centre. 
My primary role is that of a team leader for the training and support staff at the Training Centre. Our training program and activities are managed and guided by the Top Leadership of the Ministry of Works and Transport, development partners, and, in some cases, supported by private consultants.
MELTC is the National Labour-based training centre, under the department of Roads and Bridges in the Ministry of Works and Transport. Our development themes focus on capacity building, knowledge management, socio-economic inclusion, and gender for sustainability. The training programs are comprehensively designed after conducting training needs assessments (TNA). The uniqueness of the training we offer is that it involves both the roads engineering theory and the real-life practical application involving the new policy initiatives and promoting new research findings from the Construction Standards and Quality Management department of the Ministry of Works & Transport. Some of them include: the application of Labour based technologies, force account operations, Low-Cost Sealing technologies and cobblestone technologies.
At MELTC, our role is to disseminate the new policies to the road sub-sector stakeholders in both the public and private sector to facilitate their uptake and embedment into their policies, work plans and best practices. It is essential in ensuring sustainability and utilization and a good step in awareness and promotion during the roll-out phase. We also follow up with the trainees after the training programs to ensure that they adhere to the standards with consistency. Our training also gives attention to the Institutions by enhancing the skills and knowledge of their staff and providing essential tools for knowledge management. The training we offer is accredited by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
This profile should provide a platform for information upon which reference will be made. To keep track of work progress, new technologies, ideas and approaches.to build a stronger knowledge base that will make us a reference centre of excellence in Training at both local, National, and international level.
I take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to the development partners, the Government of Uganda for the continued support to the Ministry of Works and Transport. The training and support staff at MELTC for their continued commitment and team spirit displayed. I urge all, to continue being a contributory factor in the continuous professional growth of competencies and excellence in the performance of our work, so that we contribute to the National Strategic plan and achieve socio- economic development of Uganda as a nation.
Sincerely.
Eng. Ssentamu Hassan
Principal Executive Engineer
