By Leonard Kamugisha Akida
KAMPALA
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council has warned training institutions against offering programmes without accreditation.
Moses Kasakya, the Executive Director of the TVET Council, said institutions cannot simply start training learners in any programme of their choice without meeting the required standards.
Speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre (UMC) in Kampala on Wednesday, Kasakya said institutions must demonstrate their capacity before being allowed to train learners.
He said the council is mandated to regulate the sector, set standards, license and accredit both training providers and trainers.
“The TVET Council is also responsible for advising the Honourable Minister on matters of TVET skilling, regulating and setting standards, licensing and accrediting both providers and trainers,” Kasakya said.
He explained that accreditation is intended to ensure that institutions have the necessary infrastructure, equipment, qualified trainers and a suitable learning environment before they are permitted to offer specific programmes.
“Nobody starts a college or an institution and just starts to train whatever they want to train. No. For you to train in a programme, you have to be accredited and demonstrate that you have the capacity to do so,” he said.
Kasakya said institutions must also meet requirements relating to safety and health before they can be authorised to train in a particular qualification.
He added that even after an institution has been granted authority to train, it must demonstrate that it possesses the appropriate attributes to offer the specific qualification.
The council, he said, also accredits TVET programmes, ensuring that training offered to learners meets established standards.
Kasakya said the council has already commenced on licensing TVET trainers, urging those who haven’t applied for license to apply by March next year.
“The Council will therefore continue with the registration, licensing and accreditation of providers as part of the wider quality-assurance system. Providers are encouraged to engage with the Council, understand the requirements, address identified gaps and continuously improve. Regulation should not be viewed merely as it is changing quality, relevance and skills development in Uganda,” he said.
The remarks come amid efforts to strengthen regulation and quality assurance in Uganda’s TVET sector as the country seeks to equip young people with practical skills for employment and enterprise.
