The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) has embarked on a process to streamline the assessment and certification of vocational skills among youth trained under the Presidential Industrial Hubs across the country.
This move comes as part of efforts to standardise the vocational training landscape and ensure that youth who receive practical, hands-on training through these hubs are formally certified and can advance through the national education framework.
According to Onesmus Oyesigye, the Executive Secretary of UVTAB, a task force has been formed to align the training and evaluation systems used at the hubs with the newly established TVET Act 2025.
“We’re going to review and update the Assessment and Training Packages (ATPs) offered in the hubs to meet the new national standards,” said Oyesigye. “The goal is to ensure that all skilled youth, whether trained in formal institutions or through the Presidential Hubs, receive credible certification that allows them to progress academically or professionally.”
The Presidential Industrial Hubs are a brainchild of President Yoweri Museveni, established to provide free community-based training in various trades such as hairdressing, carpentry, plumbing, tailoring, welding, and more. These hubs particularly target those who have not had access to formal education, offering a second chance at empowerment through skills development.
Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs, welcomed the move, saying it will formalise skills that were previously assessed informally or through the now-defunct Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT).
“The hubs were created to provide young Ugandans with practical skills that directly improve their livelihoods,” Kamugisha explained. “Through UVTAB certification, these youth can now access opportunities in both the job market and the academic sector, including the possibility of pursuing diplomas, degrees, and even PhDs.”
Oyesigye noted that UVTAB officials will visit the hubs to hold sessions focused on reviewing how training and assessments have been conducted, to provide enhanced support moving forward. Where necessary, they also plan to develop new Assessment and Training Packages (ATPs) tailored to the trades offered.
Kamugisha added that a key focus of the initiative is the development of region-specific ATPs, tailored to the economic and livelihood realities of each region. For example, a vocational training package for farming communities in Acholi will differ significantly from that designed for urban settings in central Uganda.
“We want to ensure training is not just generic,” said Kamugisha. “It must be practical and aligned with what people need in their local environments.”
Available information shows that so far, the Presidential Industrial Hubs have trained 16,169 youth, including over 6,000 in the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Currently, there are 19 hubs across Ugandaand 9 skilling centres in Kampala, all operating in collaboration with local leaders to identify and train beneficiaries.
Graduates receive certificates upon completion, along with start-up capital to help them establish small-scale businesses, particularly in the cottage industry sector. The upcoming intake, scheduled to begin in two weeks.
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