Vocational and technical training institutions in Uganda’s Ankole sub-region have asked the government to restore a cost-sharing arrangement for trainees, warning that rising training costs are limiting access to practical skills education.
Administrators and tutors made the appeal on Monday during discussions on challenges affecting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at Rwentanga Farm Institute in Mbarara District.
They said the funding gap emerged after the closure of the Shs100 million-dollar Uganda Skills Development Project (USDP), a World Bank-funded programme that ended operations in Uganda in 2021.
The project had supported more than 500 trainees in different institutions, particularly learners from vulnerable backgrounds, according to education officials.
Mr Onex Twebaze, the acting Deputy Principal of Uganda Technical Institute Bushenyi, said competency-based training requires significant investment in equipment and materials, which many learners and institutions cannot afford.
He said the previous cost-sharing model, where government covered 80 percent of training costs while students contributed 20 percent, improved access to vocational education for disadvantaged learners.
‘The cost of materials used in practical training continues to place a heavy burden on both institutions and learners,’ Mr Twebaze said.
‘To achieve our dream as vocational institutions of a practical human resource, we need government to subsidise the cost of education. A skill is a skill; you must achieve it and you must be well equipped.’
Officials said practical courses such as manufacturing, engineering and agriculture require expensive materials, making them unaffordable for many students.
Mr Gilbert Tukahirwa, a tutor at Uganda Technical College, said some programmes require millions of shillings in training materials.
‘A course in a programme like manufacturing requires between Shs12 million to Shs13 million, which is very expensive for the majority of our people. There is no shortcut because you have to offer practical and relevant skills,’ he said.
At Rwentanga Farm Institute, Principal Mr William Tukwasibwe cited inadequate equipment and poor digital infrastructure as major challenges affecting training quality.
‘We lack equipment to run this programme. We have about 70 computers for 900 people, which is not enough to facilitate teaching,’ he said.
He added that limited internet connectivity has also affected efforts to introduce online learning.
‘Internet connectivity is very key, but we don’t have it. We cannot do online training; the internet is a very important tool in training,’ he said.
Mr Tukwasibwe also called for a clear government policy on staffing structures and remuneration to strengthen vocational institutions.
The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) said reforms were underway to address some of the challenges affecting TVET.
Mr Narasi Kambaho, the board’s communications officer, said the revised curriculum is designed to focus more on practical skills demanded by employers.
‘As UVTAB, we have made sure that the new curriculum addresses these gaps whereby 70 percent will be practical and 30 percent will be theory,’ he said.
He said the new approach would help graduates acquire skills that match industry needs.
Mr Kambaho added that concerns raised by vocational institutions would be submitted to relevant authorities through the Ministry of Education and Sports.
He also noted that the TVET Act 2025 promotes employer-led, competency-based training developed in partnership with industry players.
Vocational institutions argue that restoring government support would increase enrolment, reduce dropout rates and help Uganda develop a skilled workforce capable of addressing unemployment challenges.