Discontinuation of craft certificate assessment enters final phase

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The discontinuation of the training and assessment of the advanced craft certificate course in technical and vocational education training (TVET) is entering the final phase, the Government has said.

Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board (UBTEB) executive secretary Onesmus Oyesigye says the course has become archaic and no longer meets the needs of the industry.

According to him, they are now phasing out the assessment of the course and are organising a special and final examination slated for November and December.

"Anyone still out there is advised to register and sit for the last batch of these examinations in Nov/Dec 2024. This call applies to all other candidates who pursued old curricula in all categories of programmes and courses from the year 2011 to 2017," he says.

Oyesigye revealed that in 2016, the National Curriculum Development Centre introduced a new set of curricula for National Certificate courses, which does not require its graduates to pursue Advanced Craft courses before joining the diploma level.

However, he added that a few of the craft certificate graduates who were previously assessed by UNEB (Uganda National Examinations Board) and UBTEB on old curricula are still in the field and are still required to undergo training and be assessed in their respective Advanced craft courses.

Oyesigye was on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, speaking during the release of the November/ December 2023 exam results at the Uganda Institute of Communication Technology in Kampala.

He said generally, out of the 21,179 candidates who sat for examinations, 20,017 Candidates (93%) successfully acquired all competencies in their respective trades.

Out of the 6,593 female candidates that sat, 6,308 representing 96% completed their studies whereas out of the 14,586 male candidates that sat, 13,709 representing 94% completed their studies.

"This implies that overall the female candidates performed better than their male counterparts, " he said.

He added that the trainees of National Certificate courses that underwent their training under the modularised training and assessment had performed better (95%) compared to the performance of candidates in the previously non-modularised assessment at 76% in 2022.

"The main reason is that in the latter assessment, training is flexible, more practical and hands-on training, " he said.