The Ministry of Education is set to introduce a National Council for Vocational Education and Training to regulate the Vocation and Technical Training Institutes in Uganda.
The Council will act as the principal skills regulator and will take over quality assurance roles currently under the National Council for Higher Education and National Skill Development Agency (NSDA). It will regulate the functioning of entities engaged in vocational education and training and establish minimum standards for Vocation and Technical Institutions.
Dr Wilfred Nahamya, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board says that the cabinet has already approved the principles of the law guiding the making of the bill that is being worked on and awaiting presentation in parliament. He was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Directors and Principals of Tertiary institutes in Mbarara on Saturday.
Dr Nahamya says that they have already formulated some skills councils for each sector like tourism and hospitality, agriculture, Manufacturing, and construction noting that after that all TVET-related training and assessment of programs will be accredited and regulated by the TVET Council
Prof. Mauda Kamateneti, the Vice Chancellor of Bishop Stuart University and a representative of Private Institutions on the UBTEB Board appreciated the creation of the TVET council noting that it will help fight institutions that have failed to offer quality education to learners noting that such institutions have led to the many shoddy works.
Gilva Bafaki, the Principal of Nyamitanga Technical Institute says that the National Council for Higher Education is overwhelmed by the number of institutes in the country and is optimistic that the creation of the TVET council will ease the pressure. He says that quality assurance for technical and Vocation teaching is key to producing learners that can compete on international levels which NCHE has not given time.
Robert Muhumuza, the Director of Mbarara Community Institute welcomed the Council saying that the regulation of tertiary institutions has been hard and this is the reason many institutions have started and cheated students during registration of learners at Examinations.
Uganda has over 1000 tertiary institutions which include five centres of Excellence.
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