By Ben Musanje
The Ministry of Public Service has rejected claims by Uganda’s technical and vocational trainers that Government has neglected their grievances, saying it has been engaging their representatives and has already taken steps to address some of the longstanding challenges affecting the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
The Ministry, however, acknowledged several unresolved problems, including staffing gaps, payroll challenges, inadequate funding, occupational safety concerns and the absence of some technical positions from approved institutional structures.
The position was contained in a response presented to Parliament’s Committee on Education and Sports by the Minister of State for Public Service, Amb. Counsel Lydia Wanyoto Mutende, in response to a petition by the Secretary General Agaba Nobert-led Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers’ Union (UTVTU) and the National Sports Officers’ Association.
The response follows the trainers’ appearance before Parliament, where they accused Government agencies of failing to resolve employment, remuneration, staffing and institutional challenges that they said have undermined the delivery of quality vocational training.
The Ministry said the allegations that it had ignored the concerns, caused bureaucratic delays or resisted reforms were “entirely unfounded”.
According to Wanyoto, the same concerns were presented to the Public Service Negotiating and Consultative Council on June 29, 2026, while she personally met all Public Service Labour Unions on July 27 to discuss the escalated issues.
The Ministry said it was therefore already engaged with the unions before their petition reached the parliamentary committee.
Dispute over science status
One of the major disputes concerns the classification of courses such as Fashion and Design, Agriculture and Shoe Making as science or non-science disciplines.
The trainers have argued that Fashion and Design is a technical field involving textile science, garment technology, computer-aided design and manufacturing, pattern engineering and industrial production. They consequently want affected trainers restored to science classifications and corresponding salary scales.
The Ministry said the matter was more complicated because jobs in Fashion and Design and Shoe Making exist at different qualification levels.
It explained that positions requiring degrees, diplomas and certificates are treated differently, adding that public service jobs at U6 and below are generally not classified as either science or non-science.
The Government nevertheless said it was continuing consultations with the Ministry of Education and Sports to establish the precise job content of the affected positions.
An ongoing comprehensive job evaluation exercise will also examine jobs in Fashion and Design and Shoe Making to determine their content, comparative worth and appropriate classification.
Agriculture, the Ministry clarified, is already categorized as a science discipline and is therefore not affected by the dispute.
Workshop technicians and assistants
The Government also addressed concerns surrounding Workshop Technicians and Workshop Assistants, whose positions were reportedly missing from the structures uploaded onto the Human Capital Management (HCM) system.
The absence of the positions has contributed to payroll and appointment problems, with trainers telling Parliament that some workers have gone for prolonged periods without receiving salaries.
The Ministry said the Ministry of Education and Sports had already re-designated some affected employees to positions existing on the approved structure.
This includes 144 Workshop Assistants and 94 Workshop Technicians who met the qualifications for available positions.
The Government further disclosed that the Ministry of Education and Sports had submitted a proposed structure based on the TVET Act, 2025. The structure is currently under review by the Ministry of Public Service and is expected to provide for positions that previously did not exist.
The development could potentially resolve some of the problems faced by workshop personnel whose positions were left out of earlier structures.
Appointment of technicians remains unresolved
The trainers had also raised concerns about Workshop Technicians who successfully went through interviews conducted by the Education Service Commission and were issued notification letters in December 2024 but had not received appointment letters.
The Public Service Ministry attributed the delay partly to changes brought about by the TVET Act, 2025.
The law transferred responsibility for recruitment from the Education Service Commission to Boards of Governors and Governing Councils. The transition, coupled with the absence of vacancies on the HCM system, affected the recruitment process.
The Ministry said consultations on implementing the decision were still ongoing.
Salary enhancement for UCC lecturers
The petition also sought salary increases for lecturers and administrators in Uganda Colleges of Commerce and Uganda Cooperative Colleges, as well as Workshop Assistants, whom the union argued possess qualifications comparable to Laboratory Assistants in secondary schools.
Government said lecturers and administrators in Uganda Colleges of Commerce are classified as non-scientists but had already benefited from a 25 per cent enhancement of approved long-term pay targets, effective July 2026.
It rejected direct comparison between Workshop Assistants and Laboratory Assistants, saying the two positions have different job descriptions and pay classifications.
Laboratory Assistants are categorised as medical staff, while Workshop Assistants are classified as non-scientists.
The Ministry said Workshop Assistants would be considered under the general staff category once additional resources are identified.
Teacher transfer issue resolved
The Government also said the long-running issue involving secondary school teachers working in TVET institutions had been resolved.
According to the Ministry, affected teachers have been appointed on transfer of service to secondary schools where they possess the required qualifications.
This comes after trainers told Parliament that the fate of secondary school teachers in TVET institutions had remained unresolved for about two years, creating uncertainty among staff amid the implementation of new TVET reforms.
Promotion not automatic
On complaints that trainers with higher academic qualifications and greater experience were not being promoted, the Ministry said promotion cannot be automatic.
It explained that promotions depend on the availability of vacancies on an approved institutional structure and the availability of funds under the wage budget.
The response comes after UTVTU called for transparent promotional ladders and argued that trainers should have opportunities to advance when they acquire additional qualifications and demonstrate competence.
The union has also linked professional development to the TVET Act, 2025, which introduces mandatory Continuous Professional Development requirements for trainers.
Government acknowledged the importance of CPD but said responsibility for budgeting and implementing sector-specific professional development programmes lies with the Ministry of Education and Sports.
It promised to make efforts to implement the requirement in accordance with the law, subject to availability of funds.
Funding remains a major constraint
The Government response acknowledged that inadequate financing continues to affect TVET institutions.
The trainers had told Parliament that insufficient capitation grants have left institutions struggling to provide practical training, maintain workshops and laboratories and acquire tools, equipment and consumables.
They had called for substantially higher funding per trainee and argued that TVET should be treated as an investment in Uganda’s industrialisation rather than simply another expenditure.
The Ministry of Education and Sports, according to the response, is aware of the funding gaps and has been advocating for increased financing, although efforts to secure additional resources have not yet succeeded.
The Government also cited the TVET Act, 2025, which provides for “training with production” as one mechanism through which institutions can generate additional resources to meet some operational needs.
Staffing shortages under review
The trainers had also complained about serious shortages of instructors, including those teaching English, Kiswahili and Entrepreneurship.
Government said the structures for TVET institutions are currently under review, meaning the possibility of creating additional trainer positions would be considered as part of the process.
It cautioned, however, that staffing decisions require careful planning because Government must balance salary enhancement against expanding the number of employees.
The Ministry said English and Kiswahili staffing needs would be explored through functional analysis.
Occupational safety and welfare
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards in TVET workshops and laboratories were another area of concern.
The Ministry said institutions are expected to observe OSH standards where the Ministry of Education and Sports provides funding, while acknowledging the need for stronger supervision.
It said the Ministry of Education and Sports would strengthen oversight to ensure compliance.
The Government also acknowledged inadequate accommodation and welfare support for trainers and trainees but pointed to funding limitations as a major constraint.
The trainers had asked for better staff accommodation, welfare support, innovation funding, sports financing and other measures to improve the learning environment.
Government resists immediate centralisation of salaries
UTVTU has called for the salaries of all employees in TVET institutions to be centralised, arguing that decentralised payroll arrangements have contributed to persistent salary delays in districts.
The Government said Vocational Training Institutes and Skills Development Centres are decentralised services under existing Government policy.
Planning, budgeting and payroll management are consequently handled at local-government level.
The Ministry said it appreciated the proposal to centralise salaries but would discuss it with relevant authorities before determining whether such an arrangement was feasible.
It nevertheless said all local governments had been successfully onboarded onto the HCM system, which has improved payroll access and tracking of attendance, performance and leave management.
Union representation in reforms
The trainers have also demanded greater involvement in the development and implementation of TVET reforms, arguing that they are primary stakeholders.
Government said extensive consultations were conducted during the formulation of the TVET Act, 2025.
On the demand that UTVTU representatives be appointed to every Sector Skills Expert Committee, the Ministry said the committees are being established under the TVET Council and union representation must comply with the composition prescribed by Section 26(2) of the TVET Act.
The Government also said the drafting of statutory instruments and operational regulations to implement the TVET Act is a legislative function.
A broader job evaluation exercise
In its conclusion, the Ministry sought to reassure Parliament that the Government was committed to addressing the concerns raised by TVET trainers.
Wanyoto said the Ministries of Public Service, Education and Sports, and Finance, Planning and Economic Development were working together to improve the welfare and remuneration of public officers, including technical and vocational trainers.
At the centre of the Government’s response is a comprehensive Job Evaluation Exercise, which is expected to assess the relative value and responsibilities of different public service positions.
The Ministry said the exercise would allow Government to address disparities raised by employee groups, including UTVTU, in a comprehensive manner rather than through isolated interventions.
The response sets up a potentially important next phase in the dispute between Government and TVET trainers. While the Ministry has rejected allegations of neglect and pointed to measures already taken, several of the issues raised by the union — particularly funding, staffing, payroll, professional development and the creation of new structures — remain dependent on further consultations, budgetary resources and implementation of the TVET Act, 2025.
For the trainers, the parliamentary petition was intended to push these issues beyond repeated administrative engagements and into the sphere of legislative oversight.
For Government, the latest response suggests that many of the outstanding questions are being addressed through institutional restructuring, job evaluation and the implementation of the new TVET legal framework.
The outcome of those processes will determine whether the long-running grievances can finally be translated into concrete improvements in the working conditions of Uganda’s vocational trainers and the quality of skills training offered to thousands of learners across the country. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
