Govt introduces AI training in TVET
The training, which started Monday (September 14) and ends on Friday, is intended to equip trainers with the skills needed to implement and assess the new programmes and understand the changes introduced under the revised TVET system.
One of the group discussions among participants during the orientation for trainers of the new technician diploma curriculum at Nakawa Vocational Institute, Kampala, on Sept. 14, 2026. (Photo by Ronnie Kijjambu)
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Government has begun integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) training into the revised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum as part of efforts to equip learners with skills required in a rapidly changing labour market.
The move is, however, facing a potential knowledge gap among trainers, with educators warning that instructors need to understand the technology before they can effectively teach it.
“When it comes to AI, most people do not understand what happens behind the curtain,” said Amina Nakayima, an ICT operations support officer at Nakawa Vocational Training Institute.
Nakayima was speaking on the sidelines of an orientation workshop for trainers and stakeholders on the implementation of the recently approved TVET programmes at Nakawa Vocational College.
The training, which started Monday (September 14) and ends on Friday, is intended to equip trainers with the skills needed to implement and assess the new programmes and understand the changes introduced under the revised TVET system.
Nakayima said trainers needed to move beyond the basic use of AI applications and understand the processes behind the technology, including how data is collected, prepared and used to develop specific AI models.
She also warned that the digital transformation could be undermined by inadequate infrastructure, saying TVET institutions would require well-equipped laboratories, computers and modern digital equipment to support the new modules.
The introduction of AI is part of an overhaul of Uganda's TVET system, which includes 17 new specialised Technician Diploma curricula.
In a statement released Monday, Onesmus Oyesigye, the executive secretary of the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB), said the new programmes represented a shift from broad, traditional training to specialised, competency-based education aligned with labour market needs.
He said the curricula were anchored in the Uganda TVET Qualification Framework (UTQF) and aligned with the TVET Policy 2019 and the TVET Act 2025, which emphasise industry-led training, competency-based education and responsiveness to labour market requirements.
Under the reforms, previously broad disciplines have been broken down into specialised areas.
Mechanical Engineering, for instance, now includes specialised areas such as Mechatronics and Heavy and Light Automotive Technology, while Civil Engineering has been specialised into areas such as Bridges and Roads Technology.
“The curricula are fundamentally employer-led,” Oyesigye said, explaining that consultations with industry stakeholders, employers and practitioners had informed the curriculum content.
He said the consultations also took into account technological advances, occupational safety standards, environmental requirements and emerging trends in various sectors.
Oyesigye said the reforms would also change the way TVET is taught, with trainers expected to move away from traditional trainer-centred approaches towards competency-based and learner-centred methods.
Greater emphasis will be placed on practical skills, problem-solving, innovation and lifelong learning.
“This paradigm shift is crucial in nurturing graduates who are not only workers but also entrepreneurs and change agents,” he said.
The curricula have also incorporated the UVTAB Assessment Rules and Regulations 2026, which provide for competency-based and practical assessment that reflects real-world industry requirements.
Oyesigye said the orientation workshop was intended to equip trainers with the knowledge, skills and resources required to deliver and assess the new programmes effectively.
He encouraged trainers to identify gaps in the curricula, share best practices and develop practical strategies to improve implementation across TVET institutions.
Oyesigye said the reforms were part of efforts to develop the skilled human capital required to achieve the objectives of the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and Uganda's broader socio-economic transformation agenda.
He said the success of the new programmes would depend largely on trainers' ability to understand and embrace the reforms.
“Their role in the successful implementation of the new TVET Technician Diploma programmes is crucial,” he said.
The new curricula are expected to strengthen the link between TVET institutions and industry by ensuring that training responds to actual skills gaps and produces graduates with specialised and employable competencies.
Jalia Nassaza, the acting UVTAB executive secretary in charge of training, said the new programmes would integrate technical skills and knowledge while placing greater emphasis on soft skills such as communication, entrepreneurship and innovation.
She said assessment under the new curriculum would also change, with 70% of training focused on practical work and 30% on theory.
“The new curriculum is more focused on what people are expected to do in the world of work. So whatever they teach must be contributing to what someone is able to do in the world of work,” she said.
Nassaza said the Government was encouraging TVET institutions to work more closely with industry to address challenges such as the high cost of materials used during practical training.
She said institutions were also being encouraged to adopt training-with-production, where learners use training materials to make products that can be sold to generate income for purchasing additional materials.
“We are encouraging institutions to work closely with industry. That is going to help in reducing the materials that people require to use. We are also encouraging training with production, so instead of people using materials and throwing them away, they use them to produce real items that they can sell and be able to buy more materials for students to do more practice,” she said.
Nassaza also revealed that 13 additional programmes were being reviewed to complement the 17 Technician Diploma programmes already introduced.
She said programmes under business education and training were still being reviewed and could be released soon, possibly for learners admitted in January.
Industry collaboration
Nassaza said trainers would also need exposure to industry because the new curriculum was based on actual workplace practices.
She noted that many trainers had been trained under an academically oriented system and could return to teaching without gaining sufficient industry experience
“Now the story has changed. We are basing our curriculum on what is done in industries. For someone who has not been in industry, he may find it a little hard to implement this curriculum,” she said.
She urged trainers to return to industry to understand how workplaces are organised and translate those practices into training institutions.