By David Mwanje
KAMPALA– The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) has teamed up with the Presidential Industrial Hubs to transform skills training across the nation, ensuring young Ugandans are equipped with market ready expertise. This dynamic partnership, announced today, aims to align training programs with the National Skills Qualifications Framework, setting a new standard for vocational education.
UVTAB’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Onesmus Oyesigye, emphasized the collaboration’s focus on quality assurance. “We will assess students and review the Assessment Training Packages (ATPs) used by the hubs to ensure they meet the new registration and student act requirements,” he said. This move guarantees that training is both standardized and relevant to Uganda’s evolving job market.
Engineer Raymond Kamugisha, Director for Presidential Projects and Industrial Arts, hailed the partnership as a game-changer. “We’re developing tailor-made ATPs to meet the unique needs of different regions, ensuring our youth are ready for real-world opportunities,” he noted.
Launched by President Yoweri Museveni, the Presidential Industrial Hubs program has trained over 16,169 students across 19 hubs and 60,000 through the Kajjansi Skills program. At the commissioning of the Busoga Zonal Presidential Industrial Hub in Jinja City on January 23, 2025, President Museveni emphasized the program’s transformative vision: “These are not just hubs; they are battlefields for wealth creation. In 1986, we promised ‘Bonna Basome’ – education for all, but along the way, that promise was betrayed by school authorities.”
This partnership marks a bold step toward a future where Uganda’s youth are not just job-seekers but job-creators, armed with skills that meet global standards. As the nation invests in its next generation, the UVTAB-Presidential Hubs alliance is poised to redefine vocational training and fuel Uganda’s economic ascent.
