MBARARA — WorldSkills Uganda has called on the private sector to take a more active role in training young people enrolled in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, arguing that the world of work cannot stay on the sidelines of a system that ultimately supplies its workforce.
The call was made during a stakeholders’ engagement for the Western Region held at Nyamitanga Technical Institute in Mbarara, which brought together representatives from public and private TVET institutions and the world of work to discuss ways of strengthening skills delivery in the region.
Addressing the gathering, the Principal of Nyamitanga Technical Institute, Gilvazio Bafaki, said industry involvement in training is not optional but necessary, since employers are the ones who absorb graduates once they leave institutions.
“The industry should be involved in training of young people because it is the world of work that employs young people that are channelled out of training institutions,” Bafaki said.
He added that TVET should no longer be viewed as a fallback for students who fail to make it into conventional academic programmes, describing it instead as “not a last option but a powerful pathway to employment and entrepreneurship.”
The stakeholder engagement was organized with support from Enabel – the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation.
The engagement forms part of WorldSkills Uganda’s continuing campaign to change negative perceptions about TVET, and comes ahead of regional skills competitions that will draw competitors from public and private TVET institutions across the Western Region.
Unlike conventional contests, participants in the WorldSkills competitions do not compete against one another but are assessed against set industry standards, with strong involvement of the private sector.
