According to a circular issued by Ketty Lamaro, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, the selection and placement process for TVET will start on February 26.
The
Ministry of Education and Sports plans to provide sponsorship for 2,469
students interested in pursuing Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) at the national certificate level this academic year.
This
allocation represents approximately 12 percent of the total 20,670 available
slots across 85 institutions nationwide.
According
to a circular issued by Ketty Lamaro, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education,
the selection and placement process for TVET will start on February 26. Lamaro
explains that the selection, originally scheduled earlier, was postponed due to
delays in the release of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination
results.
"Following
the delayed release of UCE results for 2024, the Ministry of Education and Sports has provided an extended selection exercise to cater for UCE 2023
leavers who would like to join TVET institutions. applicants are thus invited
to submit application forms...to any public TVET institution nearest to the
applicant,” she stated.
There
are a total of 11 trades from which students may choose according to their
preferences. These options encompass National Certificates in Wood Technology,
Building Construction, Plumbing, Fashion and Design, Automotive Mechanics,
Agricultural Production, Electrical Installation and Maintenance Systems, Hotel
and Institutional Catering, Leather Tanning and Production, Welding and
Fabrication, as well as Machining and Fitting.
According to Lamaro, interested
individuals can obtain application forms from any public TVET institution,
local government education officers, TVET institutions nationwide, and the
Ministry of Education website. The selection process is scheduled for February
26 and 27.
As part of recent reforms, TVET selections have been decentralized
to ensure that students can be placed in institutions of their choice that are
close to their residence.
For students in the Central
region, the selection process will occur at Ntinda VTI, St. Kizito Madera in
Soroti for the Eastern region, Bobi Community Polytechnic for Northern Uganda,
and Kakiika in Mbarara for the Southwestern region.
On
average, the government will be sponsoring a total of 29 students in each
institution. However, it's important to note that some institutions, such as
Kabasanda Technical Institute and Nakawa VTI, will exclusively admit private
students without government sponsorship. In contrast, the majority of the
institutes will have over 300 slots available for private sponsorship.
During
the release of the Uganda Community Polytechnic Certificate (UCPC) examination
results, Janet Kataha Museveni the Education Minister observed that in the
selection process for those joining the national certificate, priority should
be given to learners who completed Uganda Community Polytechnic Certificates and
wish to upgrade. This priority is based on the recognition that these learners
have demonstrated early interest in TVET.
“I
appeal to Principals of TVET institutions to give these graduates priority in
this 2024 admissions for National Certificate in Technical and Vocational
Programmes for smooth upward career progression,” said Mrs Museveni.
Technical
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education, once burdened by negative
stereotypes, is now being increasingly appreciated by parents. This positive
shift is evident as more students are opting for TVET programs.
According
to data from the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB),
which oversees the assessment of these students, the number of students
choosing TVET is now comparable to those opting for the Uganda Advanced Certificate
of Education (A'Level). The enrollment figures for TVET programs range between
90,000 to 100,000, indicating significant and comparable interest in both
TVET and A'Level education.
But,
the costliness of TVET education hampers the aspirations of many. In their 2020
manifesto, the NRM government pledged universal TVET education without tuition
fees to promote skills, combat unemployment, and empower Ugandans. However,
this promise remains unfulfilled, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the
scholarships. The limited scholarships provided
have
also been criticized by parents and sector players, as government
assistance consistently falls short, leaving students burdened with hefty fees.
Dr.
Eng. Silver Mugisha, the UBTEB Chairperson, recently emphasized the necessity
for the government to take deliberate actions to admit more TVET trainees if there
is a genuine commitment to advancing TVET.
“The
trainees TVET sponsorship per Institution per intake is too small to realize
the skilling agenda in formal TVET training. The call for increment in support
to female trainees in Technical Programmes should be the major reason for
upward revision of admissions by Government,” said Dr.
Eng. Mugisha.