TVET trainers to face mandatory registration and licensing

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Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainers will be required to register and obtain licences before teaching, as the Government moves to tighten professional standards under the new TVET reforms.

The registration will require trainers to demonstrate competence in their respective trades and the ability to teach, with their credentials subject to periodic renewal.

Peter Oyo, the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) principal curriculum specialist, said the board was developing a database of trainers ahead of the registration exercise.

“We are creating a database of trainers. Very soon, you will be asked to register,” Oyo said. “Your registration will be renewed periodically, much like a driving licence, as long as you remain interested and qualified to provide training.”

He was speaking on Saturday at the close of a 12-day curriculum review workshop in Ntinda.

Oyo also explained the different categories of practitioners under the Uganda TVET Qualifications Framework, which assigns responsibilities according to their levels of competence. Grade One practitioners are qualified to conduct assessments; Grade Two practitioners can undertake assessments and curriculum development, while Grade Three practitioners, described as master trainers, can perform all these functions and mentor others.

The registration drive comes as the TVET Council moves to enforce requirements for anyone seeking to teach in public or private training institutions.

Council executive director Moses Kasakya said practical experience in a trade was no longer enough. Trainers must also acquire teaching skills through basic training in andragogy, the methods used to teach adults, and undergo a vocational fit assessment.

Section 63 of the TVET Act provides for these requirements, while Section 69 requires trainers to obtain licences from the Council before practising.

Kasakya said trainers would also be expected to maintain links with industry to ensure that what they teach reflects developments in the workplace.

For instance, a plumbing trainer should remain engaged with the plumbing industry rather than rely solely on classroom knowledge. Such engagement would also be considered during licence renewal.

However, the requirement could be difficult to meet because Uganda has few institutions offering specialised training for TVET instructors. These include the National Instructors' College Abilonino, Health Tutors' College Mulago and Kyambogo University.

TVET trainer Sulah Kakeeto called for the establishment of regional centres to train instructors, saying the existing institutions could struggle to accommodate the numbers expected to seek qualifications.

“Not every trainer can travel long distances to one or two centres, and the existing colleges cannot accommodate large numbers at once,” Kakeeto said.

Curriculum changes

The push to improve trainers' qualifications is taking place alongside a review of training programmes for artisans and craftsmen.

At the Ntinda workshop on October 31, 2026, trainers and industry representatives reviewed competency-based curricula for Level Two artisans and Level Three craftsmen in technology, home science and business education.

Moses Odeke, an architectural trainer, said the revised programmes were designed to equip learners with practical skills while placing greater emphasis on workplace values and conduct.

He said teamwork, accountability and time management were among the qualities learners needed to succeed at work.

Oyo said employers and customers were unlikely to value technical skills if the people offering them lacked professionalism.

“Even if you have the technical knowledge, your character and how you conduct yourself may determine whether you get a job. Even in self-employment, people may not come and buy from you because of the way you conduct yourself,” he said.

Funding and staffing challenges

The reforms also raise questions about whether training institutions have the staff and resources needed to implement the changes.

Nakawa Vocational Training College principal Robert Gumisiriza said the institution lacked a governing body and was understaffed following its upgrade from an institute to a college.

He also raised concerns about the cost of materials needed for practical training, saying the expense made it difficult for institutions to provide adequate hands-on instruction.

Kasakya said the new TVET regulations provide for governing councils to oversee staff recruitment, taking over the responsibility previously handled by the Education Service Commission.

On the cost of training materials, he pointed to the provision for training with production, under which learners make goods or provide services that can be sold to generate income for further training.

Section 61 of the Act recognises income from such activities as a source of revenue for public TVET institutions, while Section 110 requires them to remit 10% of their gross annual revenue from the activities to the national Skills Development Fund.

The TVET Act, which commenced in March 2025, established the TVET Council as the sector regulator. The reforms are intended to improve the quality of training and ensure graduates leave institutions with skills they can apply in the workplace.