Why TVET is Uganda’s link to jobs, productivity and economic transformation

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OPINION

By Julius Nankunda

Uganda is at a defining crossroads in its development journey. With over 75 per cent of the population under the age of 30, the country possesses one of the youngest workforces in the world. This demographic reality presents an extraordinary opportunity but also a serious risk. If young people are equipped with relevant, high-quality skills, Uganda can accelerate industrialisation, reduce poverty, and strengthen competitiveness. If not, unemployment, underemployment, and social frustration will continue to rise.

At the centre of this challenge lies Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

For years, TVET has been promoted as the practical solution to youth unemployment and skills shortages. Enrolment has expanded, new institutions have been established, and public messaging has improved. Yet the results have been mixed. Many graduates still struggle to secure decent work, while employers frequently complain about skills gaps and poor workplace readiness.

The uncomfortable truth is this: access to TVET has expanded faster than quality.

My recent research into technical training quality and student satisfaction in Uganda confirms that without consistent quality, TVET cannot deliver on its promise, no matter how many institutions are opened or how many students are enrolled.

Understanding the Quality Gap in Uganda’s TVET System

Quality in TVET is often misunderstood. It is commonly reduced to visible elements such as buildings, tools, and equipment. While infrastructure is important, it represents only a fraction of what makes training effective.

True quality in TVET includes:

i) Curriculum relevance aligned to labour market needs

ii) Instructor competence grounded in both pedagogy and industry practice

iii) Fair, transparent, and credible assessment systems

iv) Strong links with employers for internships and apprenticeships

v) Student support systems that encourage completion and confidence

Where these elements are weak, graduates leave training with certificates but limited competence. Employers, in turn, lose confidence in TVET qualifications, reinforcing the perception that skills training is a second-choice pathway.

This quality gap is not uniform. Some institutions, both public and private, deliver excellent training and produce highly employable graduates. Others struggle with outdated curricula, underqualified instructors, and limited industry engagement. The absence of consistent standards has resulted in uneven outcomes across the sector.

Why student satisfaction is a serious policy issue

Student satisfaction is often treated as a secondary concern in education policy. In TVET, this is a mistake.

My research demonstrates a strong relationship between training quality and student satisfaction. When learners receive practical exposure, clear instruction, fair assessment, and career guidance, they are more confident in their skills and more optimistic about employment.

Student satisfaction matters for three key reasons.

First, satisfied students are more likely to complete training programmes. Dropout rates decline when learners feel valued and supported.

Second, satisfied graduates become ambassadors for their institutions. Word-of-mouth reputation plays a powerful role in shaping public perception of TVET providers.

Third, student confidence directly influences employability. Graduates who trust their own competence perform better in interviews, adapt faster in the workplace, and are more willing to pursue self-employment.

Ignoring student experience undermines the entire skills ecosystem.

Institutional Reputation and the Labour Market

Beyond individual learners, training quality also shapes institutional reputation, often referred to as brand image. In the labour market, a reputation signal’s reliability.

Employers rarely have time to test every graduate extensively. Instead, they rely on institutional reputation as a shortcut for quality. Institutions known for rigorous training enjoy stronger employer trust, higher placement rates, and more partnership opportunities.

Conversely, institutions associated with weak quality struggle to place graduates, regardless of how many students they enrol.

In this way, quality becomes self-reinforcing. Strong institutions grow stronger, while weak ones fall further behind unless corrective action is taken.

The TVET Act 2025: A historic opportunity

The enactment of the TVET Act 2025 marks a turning point for Uganda’s skills development agenda. For the first time, TVET is firmly anchored in law as a strategic pillar of national development rather than an alternative educational track.

The Act introduces several critical reforms:

i) Clearer governance and coordination of the TVET system,

ii) Strengthened accreditation and quality assurance mechanisms,

iii) Greater emphasis on labour market relevance,

iv) Recognition of multiple training pathways and progression routes.

On paper, the TVET Act aligns Uganda with global best practices and regional commitments under the East African Community.

However, legislation alone does not transform systems.

Uganda’s reform history shows that well-designed laws can fail if implementation is weak, underfunded, or inconsistent. The TVET Act 2025 will only succeed if quality standards are enforced firmly and fairly across all institutions, both public and private alike.

Three policy priorities that will determine success

If the TVET Act 2025 is to deliver real change, three policy priorities must be addressed urgently.

1) Instructor competence

No TVET system can outperform its instructors. Many trainers entered teaching years ago and have had limited exposure to modern industry practices. Continuous professional development must therefore be mandatory, well-funded, and tied to certification renewal.

Instructors should regularly rotate through industry attachments to keep pace with technological and workplace changes.

2) Industry integration

TVET cannot be designed in isolation from employers. Industry must be involved in curriculum design, assessment, workplace training, and certification. Apprenticeships and internships should not be optional add-ons but core components of training.

Without strong industry linkages, skills mismatch will persist regardless of policy reforms.

3) Accountability and enforcement

Quality assurance must move beyond paperwork. Accreditation should be based on outcomes of graduate employability, employer satisfaction, and training relevance.

Institutions that consistently fail to meet standards should not continue operating simply because demand exists. Protecting learners requires difficult but necessary decisions.

TVET, East Africa, and labour mobility

Uganda’s TVET reforms are unfolding within a regional context of increasing competition and integration. Across East Africa, countries are investing heavily in skills development to support industrial growth and labour mobility.

Kenya has strengthened industry-led training models. Rwanda has prioritised performance-based TVET management. Tanzania has expanded sector skills councils.

As the East African Community moves towards deeper integration, skills portability will become increasingly important. Ugandan graduates must be competitive not only locally but also regionally.

This requires harmonised qualifications, credible certification, and consistent quality assurance, precisely what the TVET Act 2025 seeks to support.

Global lessons Uganda cannot ignore

Globally, TVET systems are undergoing rapid transformation. Automation, digitalisation, and the green economy are reshaping labour markets. Employers now demand adaptability, problem-solving ability, and lifelong learning skills alongside technical competence.

Countries that treat TVET as a low-status option are falling behind. Those that invest in quality, innovation, and strong governance are reaping productivity gains.

Uganda must adopt a similar mindset. TVET should not be viewed as a fallback for academic underachievers but as a respected, rigorous pathway to skilled employment and entrepreneurship.

Repositioning TVET as a First choice

Changing perceptions is as important as changing policy. Parents, students, and employers must see TVET as a credible route to success.

This will only happen when quality outcomes are visible:

Graduates securing decent work

Employers actively recruiting from TVET institutions

Successful artisans and technicians running sustainable enterprises

Quality, not slogans, will change attitudes.

Conclusion: Quality is the real reform

Uganda’s development future will be shaped not by policy declarations but by implementation discipline. The TVET Act 2025 offers a rare opportunity to fix long-standing weaknesses in skills development.

But the reform will succeed only if quality becomes non-negotiable.

Expanding access without improving quality risks producing frustrated graduates and disillusioned employers. Investing in quality through instructors, industry integration, and accountability creates confidence, productivity, and growth.

TVET is not a cost to be managed. It is an investment in Uganda’s economic resilience and social stability.

Uganda’s future will be built by skilled hands and the quality of training behind them.

The writer is a Civil Engineering professional, a TVET researcher and Deputy Principal VTI. He holds an MBA in Project Management and has published research on technical training quality, Brand Image, and student satisfaction in Uganda’s TVET system.