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🇺🇬 Uganda /Technology

Uganda Vocational Board Admits No Clear Startup Financing Plan for Graduates

From AllAfrica Uganda · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) admits the government lacks a clear plan for startup financing for vocational graduates.
  • This admission raises concerns about the effectiveness of government efforts to promote technical and vocational education for entrepreneurship.
  • Despite the financing gap, UVTAB tracer studies show nearly 80% of vocational graduates secure employment within their first year, with high demand in sectors like construction.

The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) has acknowledged a significant gap in government support for vocational graduates seeking to start their own businesses. UVTAB Executive Secretary Onesmus Oyesigye stated there is no clear arrangement for providing startup financing, casting doubt on the sustainability of government initiatives aimed at promoting technical and vocational education as a path to self-reliance.

Those who go to... I don't know that there is any arrangement for startups.

— Onesmus OyesigyeUVTAB Executive Secretary Onesmus Oyesigye admitting the lack of government startup financing for vocational graduates.

Oyesigye explained that while the government has invested in equipping technical institutions, graduates still face a major hurdle in accessing capital. He indicated that addressing this financing gap would require interventions beyond the assessment board's scope and suggested that the current system lacks a direct mechanism to help graduates launch businesses. "I don't think we are going to be able to do it very soon," he said.

I don't think we are going to be able to do it very soon.

— Onesmus OyesigyeUVTAB Executive Secretary Onesmus Oyesigye on the timeline for addressing the startup financing gap.

This admission comes despite positive employment trends for vocational graduates. UVTAB tracer studies reveal that nearly 80% of students find jobs within their first year of completing training. Oyesigye emphasized that these graduates are trained for practical, hands-on occupations like electrical installation and plumbing, not necessarily office jobs, and that demand for skilled technicians, particularly in construction, remains high.

Our students, almost 80%, in the first year, they employ.

— Onesmus OyesigyeUVTAB Executive Secretary Onesmus Oyesigye citing tracer study data on graduate employment rates.

The number of students enrolling in vocational education has surged, from around 18,000 to over 100,000. However, Oyesigye noted that negative perceptions of vocational education persist, with the sector historically viewed as less prestigious than academic routes. The government is implementing reforms, including shifting 70% of assessments to training institutions to continuously evaluate practical skills, aiming to bolster the sector's standing and effectiveness.

If they are looking for office work, they might not get it because they are not trained. These are technicians.

— Onesmus OyesigyeUVTAB Executive Secretary Onesmus Oyesigye explaining the practical nature of vocational training.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by AllAfrica Uganda in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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