The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) has steadily built a reputation as one of the most trusted institutions delivering on the NRM government’s skilling agenda. A decade of results now shows that Uganda’s shift toward vocational training is not just policy talk, but a measurable transformation in action.
From 9,000 to Over 370,000 Candidates
When UVTAB began its work in 2012, formerly as UBTEB, just 9,198 learners sat under its assessment. Today, that figure has grown more than forty times. Between 2013 and 2023 alone, a total of 372,645 candidates registered for assessment, and an impressive 254,707 of them — or 76 percent — successfully acquired full competencies and joined the world of work.
The post-Covid surge in 2022 set a national record, with 76,559 candidates assessed and 54,881 completing successfully. Even in 2023, with numbers stabilizing, nearly 28,000 graduates were declared work-ready.
These numbers, officials argue, speak for themselves.
Public Confidence Grows
UVTAB’s Executive Secretary, Onesmus Oyesigye, attributes the rising enrollment to reforms that make vocational training practical and attractive. The introduction of modularized assessments means students graduate with skills they can immediately use in the job market.
Principal Examinations Officer, Sam Patrick Ogwang, points to the Ministry of Education’s decentralized admissions, which ensure learners across all regions access programs suited to their interests and strengths.
Parents, too, are changing their mindset. “Even first grade students are choosing BTVET because of its clear benefits. People now see vocational training as a respected and rewarding pathway,” said Jalia Nasaza, UVTAB’s Manager of Vocational Institutions.
Impact on Jobs and Wealth
Tracer studies show that 64 percent of UVTAB graduates are employed in productive work, particularly in engineering, construction, mechanics, water, and electrical sectors. These are industries that sit at the core of Uganda’s development agenda.
President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly emphasized that skills are the foundation of wealth. “A country without skills is a country without wealth. We must train our young people not only to read books but to produce, to repair, and to innovate,” he has argued.
According to State Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysestom Muyingo, UVTAB’s performance is evidence that government reforms are working. “We are deliberate about building a generation of skilled Ugandans who will drive industrialization. The results from UVTAB assessments show that our policies are bearing fruit,” he said.
The Road Ahead
UVTAB leaders, however, say more can be done to entrench vocational training. Principal Planning Officer, Herbert Wanda, has called for one year of compulsory TVET training after A’level so that every university entrant leaves with at least one practical skill. He also backs a national qualifications framework that will recognize prior learning, allowing even those without formal education to join vocational training.
Analysts like Dr. Sarah Nsubuga of Makerere University believe Uganda is on the right track. “The challenge has never been a lack of jobs, but a lack of skills to fill them. UVTAB is closing that gap,” she said.
A Pillar of Trust
From under 10,000 candidates in 2012 to more than 370,000 a decade later, UVTAB’s numbers tell a clear story: vocational training has won the trust of learners, parents, and employers alike. With more than three-quarters of its graduates absorbed into productive work, the Board is not just assessing skills — it is proving that skilling is the surest way to deliver on the NRM’s promise of jobs and wealth creation.
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