Number of UBTEB candidates rise by 91%

The number of students registered to sit for Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB) exams in May/ June this year has risen by 91%, the board has announced.

A total of 14,664 students are set to start their papers today compared to 7,686 students that sat mid last year.

UBTEB Executive Secretary Oyesigye Onesmus made the revelation at a press conference at UBTEB offices in Ntinda.

"The conduct of examinations for May/June 2016 will take period of three weeks and we have sent a team of about 500 people to monitor the exercise across the country" Oyesigye said.

"The examinations to be conducted shall have both theory and practical papers as the Board conducts Competence Based examinations in line with The Uganda Vocational Qualifications Framework" he added.

Speaking about the rise in the number of candidates, Oyesigye linked it to government's commitment to improve technical learning.

Business Diploma and Certificate programmes have the highest number of candidates at 7,867 in this mid-year exams followed by Technical Diploma and Higher Diploma Programs with 5,082 candidates.

Specialised Academic Programmes that include Fisheries, Meteorology, Wildlife and Lands and Survey have the lowest number of candidates at 1,716.

The exams start on Friday with briefing of candidates at each of the 375 accredited institutions as UBTEB examination centres. UBTEB examinations are conducted twice a year; May/June and November/December.

UBTEB Board appealed to Heads of Examinations Centres to observe examination regulations for the successful conduct of examinations. Candidates too were encouraged to desist from any form of malpractice.

Many students often shun vocational training despite calls from government to focus on skill acquisition for graduates to compete on the job market.

There are no commissioned tracer studies to evaluate the success graduates from vocational institutes but Education Experts believe Technical skills are a safer exit from learning to seek employment.

Dr. Nahamya Karukuza Wlifred, the Deputy Executive Secretary UBTEB Examinations Management said ''we do not have graduates on the streets looking for jobs, many of the jobless graduates on the streets are from Universities and institutions other than vocational…''

The other challenge that the Board faces is private vocational institutions refusing to do UBTEB exams, which is linked to fear for failure.

''There are some institutions that fear national exams but of recent they are picking up,'' Oyesigye said.