At least 55,788 candidates are set to undergo vocational education and training (TVET) assessments conducted by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB), with prison inmates among those seeking formal certification for skills acquired while serving their sentences.
The candidates are registered at 417 assessment centres across the country and began undertaking competence-based assessments for National Certificate Level 3 and Community Polytechnic Certificate Level 2 programmes on Monday, August 10.
Of the registered candidates, 38,957 are male, and 16,831 are female. The assessment series began with candidate briefings on August 7 and will run until August 21.
The inclusion of prison inmates is part of efforts to recognise and certify vocational skills acquired through technical and vocational training while in custody, with certification expected to strengthen their rehabilitation and prospects of productive employment after release.
UVTAB executive secretary Onesmus Oyesigye said the board had entered into an understanding with the Uganda Prisons Service to assess and certify competencies acquired by inmates during their time in prison.
He said formal certification would give inmates recognised qualifications that could help them earn a living and reintegrate into society.
“It is important to recognise that the board’s assessment and certification will be part of the constructive rehabilitation mechanism of inmates by recognising and awarding their skills to engage in productive activities,” Oyesigye said.
TVET participation grows
The latest registration figures represent a significant increase from previous assessment series. The May/June 2025 end-of-programme assessments registered 30,619 candidates, meaning participation has grown substantially in the latest series.
UVTAB officials attribute the increase partly to growing awareness of employment opportunities available to TVET graduates and a gradual decline in negative perceptions about vocational education.
Dr Wilfred Nahamya, UVTAB deputy executive secretary, said the rising numbers were encouraging despite logistical challenges caused by late registration. He said the growing participation nevertheless showed that more Ugandans were embracing skills-based education.
“Despite these pressures, the fact that more people are undertaking TVET than before is encouraging. It shows the stigma is fading and that skills training is gaining genuine acceptance,” he said.
Officials also point to employment outcomes among TVET graduates as one factor driving the growing interest. Recent tracer studies indicate that about 63 per cent of TVET graduates secure employment within one year of completing their programmes, while about 20 per cent find work within the first month.
153 candidates with special needs
UVTAB has also registered 153 candidates with special needs, as part of efforts to make the assessment process more inclusive. They include candidates with hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, amputations, chronic illnesses and intellectual impairments.
More than 150 support personnel have been assigned to assist the candidates during the assessments. They include sign-language interpreters, transcribers and guides. Candidates eligible for additional support will also be given extra time in accordance with assessment regulations.
Oyesigye warned candidates, assessors and centre officials against examination malpractice, saying those found culpable would face severe penalties.
“TVET practitioners are working on things that touch people’s lives, so we cannot tolerate malpractice,” he said.
He said the strict approach was necessary because TVET graduates often work in occupations where technical competence can directly affect the safety and wellbeing of others. Oyesigye urged candidates to rely on their own practical abilities rather than attempt to cheat their way through the assessments.
The ongoing curriculum reforms are also expected to reduce opportunities for malpractice by placing greater emphasis on practical competence rather than theoretical knowledge.
Skills for employment
Oyesigye said the growing number of candidates choosing TVET demonstrated a shift in attitudes towards vocational education, with more students and parents increasingly viewing skills training as a pathway to employment.
“We are seeing more students and parents selecting TVET as a first option because graduates are finding work faster. Our theme for this series, ‘Assessment for Employable Skills’, captures exactly what the country needs,” he said.
