The Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) has warned academic institutions against collecting registration fees from learners and failing to remit the money required to register them with the board.

UVTAB Secretary General Onesmus Oyesigye said some institutions have adopted a practice of collecting registration fees from learners but fail to register them, leaving students at risk of facing challenges with their academic and professional records.

Oyesigye made the remarks during a stakeholders’ engagement in Kampala, where he urged learners and parents affected by the practice to report the institutions to the relevant authorities and seek legal redress.

He said failure to properly register learners can have long-term consequences, particularly when they later require recognised academic and vocational documents for further education or employment.

Oyesigye also revealed that UVTAB is in discussions with Mountains of the Moon University to establish a partnership aimed at providing skills training to members of the community.

Under the proposed memorandum of understanding, UVTAB and the university will collaborate on six-month training programmes, with successful participants receiving certificates.

He said the partnership is intended to expand access to vocational and technical skills training and enable community members to acquire recognised qualifications.