African Educational Research Journal - Competences acquired in garages by TVET graduates of motor vehicle mechanics in Uganda: A mixed bag of promises and frustrations

Oct 15, 2026

This article investigates the learning experiences of TVET graduates in Uganda who obtained certificates from a TVET institution, focusing on workplace learning in motor vehicle repair garages. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews and observation of 12 purposively selected participants were analyzed thematically. Graduates reported gains in driving, bargaining, management, emergency handling, and modern technology use, improving recognition and performance. However, the competences were not accredited or certified, limiting formal employment and progression. The study recommends a validation system to accredit and certify workplace learning for admission and hiring.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(1), pp. 36-45, February 2025 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.131.24.062 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Competences acquired in garages by TVET graduates of motor vehicle mechanics in Uganda: A mixed bag of promises and frustrations Francis John Garuzooka1*, Ephraim Lemmy Nuwagaba1, Constance Mudondo2 and Willy Ngaka1 1 Department of Adult, Community and Lifelong Learning, Kyambogo University , P.O Box 1 Kampala, Uganda. 2 Department of Adult and Community Education, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning, Makerere University, P.O Box 7062 Kampala, Uganda. Accepted 19 December, 2024 | ABSTRACT
This article investigated the learning experiences of students who obtained certificates from a TVET institution in Uganda (referred to in the article as graduates) . Qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews and observation from 12 purposively selected participants was analysed thematically. Findings show that graduates acquire competencies in driving, bargaining, management, handling road motor vehicle emergencies and use of modern technology. These competences helped them to improve their performance, get recognised and appreciated by their clients, fellow mechanics, and employers and to build networks. However, the newly acquired competences were not accredited and certified and consequently, they were not being used to obtain formal employment or to progress to formal education. Using andragogy and Communities of Practice as frameworks, we argue that the competences gained through workplace learning are relevant, timely and recognised by the community of mechanics and their clients although they are not accredited and certified by government authorities. We recommend that the government should put in place a validation system that accredits and certifies competences acquired at workplaces non-formally to facilitate
the use of this learning to get admitted to formal education institutions as well as obtaining formal employment. Keywords: Accreditation, competences, lifelong learning, recognition, TVET, workplace learning. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. E-mail: [fgaruzooka@gmail.com](fgaruzooka@gmail.com) , [fgaruzooka@kyu.ac. ug. Tel:](fgaruzooka@kyu.ac. ug. Tel:) +256701707941, +256776707941. | INTRODUCTION Garages play an instrumental role in training motor vehicle mechanics graduates from Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. These garages equip graduates with different competences from which graduates derive benefits. However, these competences are seldom formally recognised. This article is anchored on the argument that TVET graduates gain competences from working in car repair garages but their perceptions are that the competences acquired bring thema mixture of promises and frustrations. We show in this article how workplace learning spaces equip graduates with skills such as training, bargaining, management and handling mechanical breakdowns on the road but that these skills are not certified nor accredited. Globally, many countries are seeing the value of competency learning as a means of advancing the quality Garuzooka et al. 37 and applicability of training and education (Jenkins, 2020) . This is probably because demands from organizations, businesses, and government agencies call for a more professional workforce (Rahmaningtyas et al. , 2023) . In addition, the world of work is undergoing increased‘automation, connectivity and technological innovation’and ‘TVET is expected to respond to this global context’(Brown and Papier, 2023:43) . More so, competences contribute to achieving SDG 4 which emphasizes ensuring equitable quality education (formal, non-formal and informal learning. In countries like South Africa, competences acquired at workplaces are recognised through recognition of prior learning, with some acceptable of equivalences. In Uganda, although competences acquired at workplaces by T

FAQs

What competencies do TVET motor vehicle mechanics graduates acquire through garage workplace learning?

Graduates report acquiring driving, bargaining, management, handling road motor vehicle emergencies, and using modern technology.

Why do the newly acquired competences not lead to formal employment or further education?

The competences are not accredited or certified, so they are not used to obtain formal employment or to progress to formal education institutions.

What frameworks does the article use to argue for the relevance of workplace-acquired competences?

The article applies andragogy and Communities of Practice to support the claim that workplace learning is timely, relevant, and recognized within the mechanics community.

Oct 15, 2026

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