KAMPALA – Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board – UBTEB on Monday held a familiarization exercise for both old and new Board members in order to be on the same page and to set a plan for the just begun year, 2023. The Board was inaugurated in July 2022.
Speaking at the workshop held at Kampala Nile Resort – Namanve, the Board Executive Secretary – Mr. Onesmus Oyesigye noted that since inauguration, they have registered great milestones in fulfilling the strategic objectives of the Board including; conducting and releasing examinations results for the July-August 2022 examinations series but also November-December 2022 examinations series whose marking is in progress and release of results shall be in March 2023.
They also embarked on the construction of the Assessment Centre and trained staff members in Quality Management Systems and Occupational Health, Safety and Environment with support from Enabel.
Oyesigye says the Board conducted the inspection of real-life projects in November 2022, recruited staff and renewed contracts of existing staff, and now is developing new EMIS to enable efficient candidates’ data processing and examinations results processing, among many other acheivements.
Going forward, UBTEB plans a number of activities like reviewing all policy documents, monitoring of Industrial training for specific programmes, rolling out of the modular assessment of selected TVET Diploma programmes, and commitment to source for more funds for the assessment centre, among otherts.
On modularised assessment which also under National Development Plan III (NDPIII) as one of the instruments for driving vision 2040, Oyesigye admitted it being expensive for most students but revealed that the Board is finding ways of innovation to have alternatives other forcing learners to purchase expensive materials.
Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha, the Board Chairman implored the members to stretch their expertise and mind towards the growth and development of the Board.
“Each of us could be having personal or representative interest but upon willfully joining the Board we are obliged to transit from the former to the common – good interest in favour of UBTEB.”
Mr. Chairman also tasked the Board members to bring on board innovations and expertise that will champion the growth of TVET system in general, the public confidence in TVET graduates whom the Board assesses and awards.
“It means that each of us should strive to engage our constituencies, and those stakeholders who have a direct impact/contribution to UBTEB so that we smoothen the work of the Secretariat,” he noted.
Manager Vocational Assessment – Ms. Jalia Nassaza exploited the Boards move to conduct the modularized assessment, noting that it is the only way someone can be given a certificate of competence which can enable them either to drain the world of work or continue if they wish to continue with the studies.
“This modular assessment is a shift from the therapist to the credit investment that whatever someone is able to cover, this person is given a credit and these credits are also remaining in the system which this person can use either for promotion or to go and get his employment.”
“But on the other side, it is a linear structure where you have to undertake one direction……in a modular system, someone can decide and say, let me go in the building, I pick a module of Brick Lane,” she said.
She says in a modular system, a certificate is given to individual modules, meaning that if a program like building construction has five modules in them, this person is going to have those five certificates of competence plus the national certificate one is given at the end of the program.
