The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) is exploring a system that would allow secondary school students to acquire practical skills and earn vocational certificates before completing their conventional education, as the government seeks to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the world of work.
UVTAB Executive Secretary Onesmus Oyesigye said the initiative would enable students to undertake selected technical and vocational modules, receive training and undergo competency assessments without disrupting their broader education.
The proposal comes as Uganda implements reforms under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act No. 3 of 2025, which seeks to strengthen skills development and produce a workforce equipped to meet the country’s economic needs.
Speaking during a meeting with education secretaries from selected religious institutions, Oyesigye said some secondary schools had already approached UVTAB seeking assessment and certification for their students.
“The new lower-secondary curriculum already includes a technical component, and some secondary schools have asked UVTAB to assess and certify their students,” Oyesigye said.
He explained that the TVET Council would visit interested schools to assess their workshops, teachers and training programmes before UVTAB provides appropriate Assessment and Training Packages (ATPs) for selected skills.
Under the proposed arrangement, students would be able to complete a practical skills module and undergo assessment for certification while continuing with their regular studies.
Oyesigye said the initiative was intended to give learners practical competencies that could help them make informed decisions about their future after completing the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).
“Where parents or communities want children to learn particular practical skills, learners could use an Assessment and Training Package, receive training in a selected skill, and then be assessed and certified,” he said.
The appropriate certificate would depend on the competency demonstrated by the learner and the requirements of Uganda’s TVET Qualifications Framework.
Oyesigye said UVTAB had benchmarked similar approaches in countries such as Mauritius, where vocational skills development can complement conventional education.
The proposal comes amid efforts to strengthen the relevance of secondary education by equipping learners with practical abilities that can be applied in employment, business and other productive activities.
Under the TVET reforms, UVTAB is responsible for developing and managing training curricula and packages, assessing trainees and accrediting eligible training providers as assessment centres.
The board was established under the TVET Act No. 3 of 2025 through the merger of the former Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) and Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB). It began operations on March 15, 2025
Oyesigye said the board currently assesses more than 300 TVET programmes across formal and informal training and had assessed more than 253,580 candidates since beginning operations.
He said the reforms were also designed to expand access to skills training beyond conventional institutions by recognising eligible businesses, workshops, garages, salons and other enterprises as potential training providers.
For secondary school students, the proposed certification pathway could provide an opportunity to acquire skills in areas such as construction, electrical installation, agriculture, catering, tailoring and mechanics, depending on the programmes available at participating institutions.
TVET Council Executive Director Moses Kasakya said the country needed to develop a workforce capable of supporting industrialisation and manufacturing, adding that practical competencies were essential for improving productivity and employment prospects.
He also highlighted the importance of recognising skills acquired outside formal education, saying people who learned trades through workplace experience could be assessed and certified based on their demonstrated abilities.
Reverend Daniel Token Wejuli, programme specialist for spirituality and mindset change at the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, called for a change in attitudes towards vocational education, arguing that practical skills should not be treated as inferior to academic qualifications.
He said religious institutions, which operate schools and training centres and maintain extensive community networks, could help promote vocational education among learners and parents.
Oyesigye urged faith-based education providers to work with UVTAB to understand the new assessment and certification arrangements and ensure their training programmes meet the required standards.
He said the broader objective was to help learners acquire recognised skills that could improve their employment prospects, support entrepreneurship and contribute to national development.
However, the proposed school-based certification pathway will depend on the assessment of participating schools’ facilities, teachers and programmes, as well as the development and provision of appropriate training packages.
UVTAB said the approach would complement rather than replace the existing school system, allowing learners to pursue conventional education while gaining additional practical competencies.
