By Lule Eriah
Uganda’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system stands at a defining moment.
Since the enactment of the Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) Act in 2008 and the launch of the Skilling Uganda Strategic Plan in 2012, the country has increasingly recognised practical skills as essential to industrialisation, entrepreneurship and employment.
The challenge now is to ensure that training translates into sustainable livelihoods.
The 2024 National Population and Housing Census, conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), recorded a population of approximately 45.9 million. Its findings put unemployment among people aged 14–64 at 12.6%, while 16.7% of young people aged 15–24 were unemployed.
These figures highlight the urgency of aligning education with the labour-market demand. However, they measure national unemployment, not unemployment among TVET graduates specifically.
Uganda has recorded encouraging institutional successes. A 2021 graduate-tracer study at the National Instructors College Abilonino, conducted by VVOB, found that 90% of graduates from the 2016/17 and 2017/18 cohorts transitioned into work, although just over half entered the BTVET workforce.
This demonstrates the potential of targeted technical and instructor training, while highlighting the need for a national graduate-tracking system.
Regional experience offers further lessons. Rwanda’s 2024 Graduate Tracer Survey reported employment among 46.5% of 472 respondents from selected programmes supported by its Priority Skills for Growth initiative.
Rwanda Polytechnic recorded a 59% employment rate among respondents, compared with 40% for Rwanda TVET Board institutions. These results are not directly comparable with Uganda’s institutional study because their samples and methodologies differ.
Nevertheless, they demonstrate the value of tracking graduates and identifying programmes with stronger employment outcomes.
Kenya’s competency-based training reforms and institutional accreditation efforts also offer useful lessons in quality assurance and employer engagement. Uganda should strengthen industrial attachment, apprenticeships and partnerships with employers, ensuring that curricula reflect demand in construction, manufacturing, agribusiness, tourism and digital services.
Financing remains critical. Institutions need modern equipment, competent instructors and reliable operating budgets. Graduates entering self-employment also need affordable credit, mentorship and access to markets.
Uganda Revenue Authority’s presumptive-tax framework covers eligible small businesses with annual turnover above UGX 10 million and up to UGX 150 million. Although simplified taxation can support compliance, the government should continually assess the combined effect of taxes, registration fees, licensing and financing costs on young enterprises.
Digital exclusion compounds these challenges. DataReportal estimated internet penetration at 28% in Uganda at the beginning of 2025. Expanding affordable connectivity, electricity, digital literacy and offline learning resources would help rural learners access training and employment opportunities.
Government should also strengthen the implementation of minimum-wage legislation and labour protections while promoting formal job creation. Regular labour-market surveys, transparent institutional performance reporting and graduate employment tracking would improve accountability.
Training institutions should publish outcomes covering employment, self-employment, earnings, and the relevance of graduates’ skills.
Uganda’s TVET system has established an important foundation. Its next chapter must prioritise quality, accessibility and accountability.
The true measure of success is not the number of certificates issued, but the number of people equipped to build productive, dignified and sustainable livelihoods.
The Writer is a Communication Specialist