From Classroom to Career: A Systematic Review of How Ugandan TVET Pathways Shape Youth Employability, Earnings, And Transition to Decent Work.

Abstract

This systematic review synthesises empirical evidence on how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) pathways in Uganda influence youth employability, earnings, and transitions to decent work, placing Ugandan findings within the wider context of Sub-Saharan Africa and low- and middleincome country (LMIC) evidence. Following PRISMA-style procedures, the review uses data from experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluations, tracer studies, and qualitative research on TVET, internships, apprenticeships, and skills development. Global and regional systematic reviews indicate that TVET interventions tend to have small but positive average effects on overall paid employment, formal employment, and monthly earnings among young people, though these effects vary and are influenced by study quality and programme design. Evidence consistently shows stronger, more consistent impacts when classroom-based TVET is combined with work-based learning, such as internships and apprenticeships, along with additional support services, including career guidance, entrepreneurship training, and financial aid. Ugandan tracer and system studies report that most TVET diploma graduates find employment within one year and identify teaching quality, entrepreneurial training, and strong academic performance as key factors driving employability, while curriculum– labour market misalignment, weak digital skills, variable internship quality, and reliance on informal hiring networks limit outcomes. Research on informal-sector-focused TVET under the “Skilling Uganda” agenda suggests that skills development can improve informal work and increase incomes in urban areas, though issues such as deficits in decent work, precarious conditions, limited social protection, and limited career progression remain. Qualitative analyses across LMICs highlight that TVET participation affects not only economic outcomes but also young people’s cultural and social capital, aspirations, and well-being, with particularly strong benefits for disadvantaged youth. Overall, the review concludes that Ugandan TVET provides a meaningful pathway from education to employment and can improve job prospects and earnings, but it is not yet a guaranteed route to decent work, emphasising the need for more in-depth system reforms and more rigorous impact evaluations in Uganda.