_________________

The Uganda Business and Examinations Board (UBTEB) says candidates who pursue national certificate courses under the modularised training and assessments will receive a certificate of competence for each module in addition to the national certificate after the course.

According to UBTEB executive secretary Onesimus Oyesigye, the move is aimed at documenting their abilities and speeding up job acquisition.

He made the revelation during the release of the November/ December 2023 UBTEB examination results at the Uganda Institute of Communication Technology in Kampala on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

"The world of work (employers) and training providers should, therefore, expect to see a change in the kind of academic award issued by UBTEB to such graduates," he said, adding that this will help employers to offer gainful employment to TVET graduates for any of the modules the graduate has exhibited high levels of competence.

"This means, therefore, that a holder of such certificate of competence can be engaged on timed employment and in different organisations."

He noted that they expect great improvement in bridging the job gap since these graduates can also competently create their employment and absorb other youth.

Under the programme, which is part of a raft of reforms under TVET ( technical vocational education and training ), Ugandans wishing to join TVET can enroll for small units of vocational courses, be assessed in them, and receive transcripts to join the world of work in their areas of interest.

This is as opposed to having to complete whole courses of, say, two to three years before being allowed to go into the world of work.

Implementation of the modularized assessment started in January 2022 with an initial 27 programs. These include welding and metal fabrication, motor vehicle mechanics, block laying and concrete practice, plumbing and pipe fitting, and carpentry and joinery.

Also included were community polytechnic certificates in agriculture, garment design, and construction, fabric and interior design, food preparation and processing, leather work and shoe making, business studies (accounting), business studies (computer studies), Business Studies (store keeping) and community polytechnic certificate in agriculture (CPCA).

The assessment is a result of National Development Plan III which emphasizes that training and assessment of programs should be in a modular form. Other policy documents include the National Resistance Movement manifesto and TVET policy 2019.