The most significant issue in Uganda is the missing labour demand, leading to massive unemployment rates. One of the main drivers of this development is the education system, which is not linked to market demands. There are not many vocational training centres available which produce adequately skilled graduates to enter Uganda’s workforce. Moreover, practical training is marked with an overall negative perception. Nevertheless, for the country's further development, productivity and growth, vocational education has been defined as a key driver.

This bachelor thesis aimed to identify key areas which need to be considered and assessed, so that relevant and quality skills training can be offered. Thus, a literature review and PESTEL analysis of vocational education have been conducted, and resulting findings were presented in a SWOT analysis. Also, primary research was conducted in the form of semi-structured expert interviews with a diverse group of Swiss and Ugandan stakeholders. The paper’s analysis and findings were presented in a self-developed model which serves as guiding instrument for the establishment of a vocational school.

The findings show that the current vocational education system is very complex and deficient. This can be attributed to the missing cooperation between government and the private sector plus limited resource allocation and poorly educated instructors. The best approach for the establishment of a vocational school is to (1) conduct market research and identify key sectors (2) find partners for mediation and practical training (3) define the target group and entry requirements (4) choose a location depending on key player's location (5) establish an offering integrated into the country's education system with local management (6) provide further training to teachers to ensure quality training (7) provide adequate infrastructure, materials and equipment for training (8) and develop a specialised curriculum according to the market's needs. Overall, one should start with a small offering which shall be provided in collaboration with the private sector to ensure market relevance. In this regard, the greatest opportunities for further skills development were detected in the agriculture sector which is in need of specialisation.