Nebbi Providence Vocational School has graduated 289 students in five vocational disciplines, with school leaders and local officials urging young people to embrace practical skills to improve employment prospects and livelihoods.
Nebbi Providence Vocational School has graduated 289 students with vocational qualifications in five disciplines, as education leaders called for greater investment in practical skills to address youth unemployment.
The third graduation ceremony was held on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the school in Afere Cell, Thatha Ward, Nebbi Municipality, with the graduates receiving National Certificates awarded through the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB).
The graduates trained in carpentry and joinery, fashion and design, catering, hairdressing and cosmetology, and motor vehicle mechanics.
The ceremony was presided over by Dr Wilfred Nahamya, UVTAB's deputy executive secretary, as chief guest. Other attendees included Nebbi Municipality Mayor Jackline Opar, Resident District Commissioner Robert Abak, district officials, clergy, members of the Daughters of Providence Sisters, civil servants and parents.
Founded in 2014 by the Daughters of Providence Sisters in partnership with Nebbi Catholic Diocese, under the leadership of then Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok, the school began as an initiative to support vulnerable girls through vocational training.
It has since expanded its training programmes, reflecting growing demand for practical skills in the area.
The school graduated 186 students in 2022 and 160 in 2024 before the number rose to 289 this year.
Principal Sr Emmanuela Loice attributed the school's growth to the founders' commitment to supporting disadvantaged young people through skills training.
“The Sisters have always had the heart to support the poor and needy through skilling, which is why they chose to start this great vocational school,” Loice said.
She urged parents to consider vocational education as an alternative pathway for children completing primary and secondary school.
“After Primary Seven exams, let's encourage our children to join vocational schools because with vocational skills you don't lack. I am so passionate about it because I also benefited,” she said.
Loice said the school offers a three-year Junior Certificate programme for Primary Seven leavers and a two-year National Certificate programme for Senior Four leavers.
Of the 289 graduates, 116 completed tailoring and garment cutting, 114 hairdressing and cosmetology, 11 carpentry and joinery, eight motor vehicle mechanics, 11 institutional catering and 29 bakery.
Vocational training and youth employment
The graduation comes amid continued efforts by the government to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a pathway to employment and self-reliance.
Dr Nahamya said reforms under the government's TVET framework were intended to improve employability and recognise skills acquired both through formal training and informal experience.
“The reforms are part of government's intervention that aims at skilling the young people and reducing unemployment. The reform aims at increasing employability and also certifying skills acquired informally, not only through formal training,” he said.
The graduates also received start-up kits, including sewing machines for those trained in tailoring, to help them begin working after completing their studies.
Nebbi Municipality Mayor Jackline Opar encouraged the graduates to recognise their abilities and use their skills to build independent livelihoods.
“Everyone in this world is rich and there's no poor person because we have the brain, the potential and the capacity to serve,” Opar said.
She particularly encouraged young women to embrace vocational skills as a means of improving their financial independence.
Resident District Commissioner Robert Abak commended the school for expanding access to vocational education, saying the district lacked a government-aided vocational institution.
“You are aware that Nebbi as a district, we don't have a government-aided vocational school but you stepped in to bridge the gap, that's why I am so proud of you. It is the wish of His Excellency the President to skill the youth,” Abak said.
A second chance through vocational education
One of the graduates, Jovian Yikparwoth, said financial difficulties had threatened her education after she enrolled in the tailoring programme following Senior Four.
Raised by a single mother, Yikparwoth said her mother could no longer afford tuition after the first term. She credited the school's principal with allowing her to continue studying without paying fees.
“When my mother could no longer pay my tuition, the Principal gave me an offer to study for free and that's how I managed to graduate today,” Yikparwoth said.
“If it wasn't for her intervention, I would not be among fellow graduands,” she added.
Her experience highlighted the role of financial support in helping disadvantaged learners access vocational training and complete their education.
The school's graduation adds to efforts to expand practical skills training and improve access to employment opportunities for young people in Nebbi and the wider West Nile sub-region.