TVET Council rejects calls to lower standards for poor learners
Kasakya said registration licensing and accreditation of training institutions and trainers are not intended to lock disadvantaged people out of opportunities, but to protect learners and the public from substandard training.
TVET Executive Director Moses Kasakya addresses a press conference at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. [Photo by Francis Emorut]
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The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council has rejected calls for training standards to be lowered for poor and disadvantaged Ugandans, saying every learner deserves skills that can compete both locally and internationally.
Moses Kasakya, the executive director of the TVET Council, said registration, licensing and accreditation of training institutions and trainers are not intended to lock disadvantaged people out of opportunities, but to protect learners and the public from substandard training.
Kasakya made the remarks at the Media Centre in Kampala on Wednesday (September 9) during a media briefing by the Council on the new TVET system in Uganda.
The briefing also focused on qualifications, industry relevance, new curricula and the way forward.
He said vocational training equips people with competencies on which they depend for employment, self-employment and productivity, and which, in some occupations, affect the safety and wellbeing of others.
He said this makes quality assurance critical to the ongoing reforms of Uganda’s TVET system.
“Registration, licensing and accreditation are therefore not intended to exclude people from opportunities. It is a mechanism of ensuring the public that those who train actually meet the standards required to develop genuine competencies,” Kasakya said.
He was speaking while explaining ongoing reforms in the TVET sector, which seek to establish a training system that produces graduates capable of meeting the demands of Uganda’s labour market and competing beyond the country.
Standards under scrutiny
Kasakya said the Council had received concerns from some training providers who argue that enforcing standards could disadvantage poor people, particularly those in rural communities and informal settlements.
“Inclusion cannot mean lowering quality or safety standards that learners deserve,” he said. Adding that: “We should be very careful about an argument that standards can be lowered simply because a provider says, 'we are helping poor people'.”
Kasakya cited catering training as an example, questioning the quality of skills acquired by students who are trained and assessed using inadequate equipment.
He said he had encountered a case where learners studying catering were trained and assessed in cooking using a small charcoal stove and a small saucepan before being declared qualified.
Kasakya questioned whether such graduates would be able to compete for employment in high-end hotels that require workers to operate modern commercial kitchen equipment.
“How competitive will that person be when it comes to getting a job in a hotel like Sheraton?” he asked.
He said failure to provide appropriate equipment and practical training could partly explain why employers sometimes turn to workers from neighbouring countries to fill positions requiring specialised skills.
Kasakya said Uganda should instead invest in a TVET system that equips learners with competencies that meet national and international standards.
He said the reforms are intended to ensure that TVET qualifications represent actual competence rather than merely certificates.
According to Kasakya, the ultimate measure of the TVET system should not be the number of certificates issued, but whether graduates can demonstrate practical skills, secure employment, become productive or create opportunities for themselves and others.
He urged young people choosing TVET programmes to consider the skills demanded by the economy instead of selecting courses simply because they lead to certificates.
“Choose a programme because it gives you a competence that has value in the world of work, not because you will get a certificate,” he said.
He said trainers must continuously update their skills because technology and industry requirements are constantly changing.
He cited developments in healthcare and construction, where digital technologies are increasingly being used for laboratory testing, equipment operation and soil analysis.
The reforms, he said, therefore require trainers to keep learning to remain relevant to industry's changing needs.
Industry to shape training
Kasakya said employers would also play a greater role in determining the skills required because they understand which occupations are growing, which technologies are becoming obsolete and which new competencies will be required in the future.
He said the new TVET system would be competence-based, industry-led and quality-assured, with employers and practitioners participating in curriculum development and review.
The reforms are being implemented under the TVET Act 2025 and the TVET Qualification Framework, which Kasakya said provides a structured basis for qualifications, competencies, progression and recognition.
He said the Council's objective is to ensure that qualifications obtained in Uganda are trusted by employers and recognised beyond the country's borders.
Kasakya said maintaining high standards should therefore be viewed as an investment in disadvantaged learners rather than a barrier to their participation in vocational education.
He said Uganda must ensure that all learners, regardless of their background, receive training that gives them a genuine chance to compete in the modern labour market.