The Uganda Prisons Service has launched a landmark partnership with the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) that will see inmates across the country graduate with officially recognized vocational certificates.
The agreement, signed this week, is part of a broader rehabilitation strategy aimed at equipping prisoners with practical skills that can improve their chances of rebuilding their lives once released.
For years, Uganda’s prisons have offered training in trades such as carpentry, tailoring, mechanics, and agriculture. However, until now, those skills were not formally accredited, leaving many former inmates at a disadvantage in the job market.
Under the new arrangement, UVTAB will assess and certify the training programs, aligning them with national standards. This means that an inmate who completes a tailoring course in prison will leave with the same certificate as someone who trained at a vocational institute.
Officials say the program is designed to break cycles of crime by giving inmates the tools to find meaningful work or start small businesses after serving their sentences. By validating their skills, the initiative is expected to enhance employability, foster self-reliance, and reduce the likelihood of re-offending.
“This partnership is about dignity and second chances,” a Prisons Service spokesperson noted. “We want people leaving our facilities to be contributors to their communities, not returnees to the system.”
Beyond the personal impact on inmates, the move is seen as a contribution to Uganda’s wider development agenda. By expanding the pool of skilled labour, it supports the government’s vision of empowering citizens through vocational and technical training.
UVTAB officials emphasized that the same quality benchmarks applied to vocational institutions across the country will now be used in prisons, ensuring consistency and credibility.
The certification program is expected to roll out progressively, with select prisons piloting the assessments before a nationwide scale-up. Both institutions expressed optimism that this initiative will not only transform lives behind bars but also reshape public perception of correctional facilities as centres of rehabilitation and growth.