Why govt intends to make TVET education cost-free

The government is planning to make lower-level Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) learning free. The plan comes as TVET gains increased popularity for narrowing the skills gap and offering pathways to stable employment opportunities, amid a youth unemployment crisis.

Acting Education and Sports minister John Chrysostom Muyingo said the move aims to make hands-on skills development more accessible, particularly to the youth, to enable them to create job opportunities rather than being job seekers.

“The government has plans to expand access to Technical and Vocational training by providing opportunities for trainees to pursue lower-level TVET programmes free of charge,” Mr Muyingo said during the release of Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) results for the May-June 2026 assessment series at the Board’s assessment centre in Kyambogo, Kampala, on Wednesday.