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Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board (UBTEB) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kyambogo University to assess technical and vocational education training (TVET) courses offered by the university.

UBTEB chairman Eng Silver Mugisha said the board will specifically assess programmes at certificate and diploma levels.

"I am grateful to Prof. Eli Katunguka, the Vice Chancellor, and his Technical team at Kyambogo University for the collaboration in the deliberations and processing of this MOU, " said Mugisha.

He was speaking during the release of the November/ December 2023 UBTEB exam results at the Uganda Institute of Communication and Technology in Kampala on Wednesday, March 27.

At the event, Mugisha said the Board has put in place TVET Assessment Working Groups composed of various professionals and specialists from the relevant sectors of the economy to enhance its capacity for the new mandate.

"This has paved the way for the contribution of technical and professional expertise and deepened both knowledge and practice in the assessment process of the Board, " he said.

Under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2006 (as amended) it is not compulsory for universities that are offering TVET courses to join UBTEB as the law allows them to examine their courses. 

Dr Safina Musene, the commissioner of Health Training Institutions at the Ministry of Education and Sports, however, says doing so (working with UBTEB) is beneficial because it offers the benefit of standardization of TVET qualifications in Uganda for upward progression. 

Musene, who represented her permanent secretary Ketty Lamaro at the event, said many more institutions are coming on board after previously being hesitant to join.

Dr Paul Giju, the academic registrar of ISBAT University, whose university is one of those that have courses that are assessed by UBTEB, backed Kyambogo's move.

He noted that since adopting UBTEB assessment for some of their programs, including software engineering and multimedia, they have started seeing an uptick in the absorption of their students in the job market.

“What we have realized is that those who do our certificate or diploma programme assessed by UBTEB can get employed because UBTEB assessed courses provide the unique skills that are not only needed here (Uganda) but also abroad,” he said.