The Nakawa Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) has been supported by JICA for 50 years, and in this context, Principal Muwanga visited Japan in October. At that time, he gave a lecture on vocational technology education in Uganda at the Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University. In addition, he visited a vocational training school in Okayama. SKY Project Research Assistant Yujiro Yamazaki, who is currently doing fieldwork in Uganda, visited NVTI and asked the visit to Japan.

While at Nagoya University Graduate School of International Development, Principal Muwanga explained to students about the situation surrounding BTVET (Business Technical Vocational Education and Training) in Uganda, including at NVTI. The current issue in Uganda is how best to utilize the results of school education in the labor market, and to this end, he pointed out the importance of collaboration between ministries and the public and private sectors.

Regarding the visit to a Japanese vocational school, Principal Muwanga was particularly impressed with the three aspects of the teachers: enthusiasm to counsel students about their careers, abundant industry experience, and the return of knowledge to schools through the graduates becoming teachers. He noted that he was able to learn about the characteristics of Japan’s vocational schools and the similarities with NVTI, such that it was an insightful visit for conceiving of Uganda’s future situation.

Reflecting on Principal Mwanga’s visit to Japan, the importance of building cooperative relationships by sharing knowledge and experiences across countries is clear. In addition, as the Principal Muwanga pointed out, in Uganda there are still many issues in the transition from school to work. SKY Project will contribute to addressing this issue in Uganda in the future by further developing the skill evaluation module.