By KT Reporter
TVET Act to Address Uganda’s Persistent Skills Mismatch Stakeholders have expressed concern over the persistent mismatch between youth skills and labor market demands.
Moses Kasakya, the Executive Director of TVET Operations and Management in Uganda has underscored the importance of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training in addressing this challenge.
He noted that the purpose of the reform is improving youth employability, supporting investors, and professionalizing Uganda’s workforce.
Kasakya told URN that the Act was designed to respond to long-standing challenges where education outputs have failed to meet labour market demands.
“There are many Ugandans without jobs, yet employers are importing skills from other countries, this gap is exactly what TVET is meant to address,” Kasakya said.
He cited the oil and gas sector where only about 20 percent of drivers are Ugandan, despite widespread unemployment among local youth.
According to Kasakya, similar gaps exist in welding, carpentry, furniture making, transport and management, where informal skills are abundant but rarely meet professional standards.
“You see many people welding by the roadside, but when it comes to professional welding, they do not meet industry expectations,” he explained.
Kasakya noted that investors often resort to hiring expatriates because of a shortage of locally certified and competent workers, a situation that drives up business costs.
“If we had skilled people here, investment would be cheaper and more sustainable,” he said.
A major focus of the TVET reform, he added, is recognizing prior learning and informal skills. Kasakya shared an example of skilled artisans in Katwe, known for producing high quality hospital beds but lacking formal certification.
“These are people with excellent skills, but no recognition. TVET allows them to be assessed, certified, and integrated into the formal economy,” he said.
He also pointed to successful farmers and craftsmen who have acquired expertise through experience rather than formal education, arguing that such individuals should be supported to train others and expand the national skills base.
Kasakya further explained that the TVET Act has centralized training standards, replacing the fragmented system where institutions trained independently without clear market alignment.
“Previously, training was supply driven, based on what trainers could offer. TVET shifts this to demand-driven training, based on what the market actually needs,” he said.
The reform also strengthens quality assurance by involving industry experts in curriculum development and promotes continuous improvement to keep training relevant. On financing, Kasakya acknowledged that TVET training is costly due to its practical nature, requiring equipment, materials, and lower trainee-to-instructor ratios. However, he emphasized, that the long-term benefits outweigh the costs.
“When a young person gains clear, employable skills, they either get a job or start a business. That is the transformation TVET is meant to deliver,” Kasakya said.
He called on stakeholders to continue supporting and advocating TVET reforms to ensure that Uganda develops a skilled, competitive, and self-reliant workforce.
Ssebuliba Jackson Kizza from Uganda small scales industries association said that initially the industrial partners did not know how they come in to implement the TVET Act as every partner was confused on their role.
He noted that after understanding the implemention of the Act, industrialists can be able to come up with industrial demanded labour to the labour market.
Ssebuliba also noted that understanding the TVET Act helps industrialist streamline training so the people trained can perform when they hit the labour market. According to Ssebulina, the reforms will help trainers to also go back and refresh on what they train since the license of a trainer expire every three years.
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