With the October TVET intake around the corner, thousands of Ugandans are once again making decisions about what skills to acquire, where to study and, perhaps most importantly, what will give them an edge in an increasingly competitive job market.
At Luyanzi Institute of Technology (LIT), the answer is not only technical training. It also includes a skill that many students may not immediately associate with technical and vocational education — Chinese language.
Located in Bweyogerere, Wakiso District, Luyanzi has developed a distinctive model that combines technical and vocational training with Chinese language and culture, giving students an opportunity to build more than one skill at a time.
And with China’s growing involvement in Uganda’s infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, technology and other sectors, the combination is becoming increasingly relevant.
Uganda’s relationship with China has moved well beyond the buying and selling of goods. Chinese companies have been involved in major infrastructure and energy projects, including the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway and Karuma Hydropower Project, while Chinese investment has also expanded into manufacturing, industrial parks, telecommunications and other areas.
The two countries are also exploring cooperation in newer areas such as digital technology, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.
This creates a changing environment for Ugandan workers. A technical qualification remains important, but additional skills can help a person operate in a wider professional environment.
That is where language can become useful.
Consider the number of Ugandans working around construction sites, engineering projects, factories, logistics operations and procurement. Some work directly with Chinese companies or alongside Chinese engineers and technicians. Others interact with Chinese suppliers, contractors, business owners or equipment manufacturers.
In such environments, knowing Chinese does not replace a technical qualification. It complements it.
A technician who understands machinery and can communicate in Chinese has a different skill combination from someone who only has the technical qualification. The same applies to people working in construction, ICT, engineering support, procurement, logistics, administration and project coordination.
It does not guarantee employment, but it can give a learner another capability to bring to the workplace.
This is where Luyanzi’s model becomes particularly interesting.
The institute has a connection with the Confucius Institute at Makerere University, through which Chinese language and culture are taught at Luyanzi.
The relationship has allowed students to encounter Chinese language alongside their technical education rather than treating the two as completely separate areas of study.
For a student entering the October intake, this creates an opportunity to think about education differently.
Instead of asking only, “Which course will give me a certificate?” the question becomes: “What combination of skills can make me more useful in the workplace?”
The value of learning another language also extends beyond working directly for a Chinese company.
Language skills can be useful in business, hospitality, tourism, trade, logistics, customer service, administration and international cooperation.
For Uganda, where businesses increasingly interact with international partners, the ability to communicate across cultures can become another professional asset.
Chinese language therefore does not have to be viewed as a separate career. It can sit on top of an existing technical skill.
The idea is sometimes called skill stacking — combining different useful abilities instead of relying on one qualification.
A person can study electrical installation and develop Chinese language skills. Another can pursue ICT and learn Chinese. Someone interested in construction can develop technical competence while gaining exposure to Chinese language and culture.
The same principle can apply across other fields.
The result is not necessarily a completely different career. It is a broader professional profile.
And for young Ugandans entering a competitive employment market, that distinction can matter.
For students who have been considering TVET, the October intake therefore presents more than another admission window.
It is an opportunity to begin building a practical skill while exploring additional capabilities that could become useful later.
Luyanzi offers programmes in areas including Automotive Mechanics, Building Construction, Electrical Installation Systems and Maintenance, Fashion and Design, Hotel and Institutional Catering, Information and Communication Technology and Civil Engineering, among other technical disciplines.
The institute also provides accommodation and meals for students who need them, while bursary opportunities are available for eligible students to explore.
This means the conversation around the October intake is not simply about choosing a course. It is about considering the type of professional profile a student wants to build.
For years, technical and vocational education was sometimes treated as an alternative for students who were not pursuing conventional academic routes.
That perception is changing.
As employers increasingly look for practical competence, technical skills are becoming an important part of Uganda’s workforce.
Institutions such as Luyanzi are also demonstrating that TVET does not have to stop at the traditional technical qualification.
A student can learn a practical trade, develop digital capabilities, gain language skills and understand another business culture — all within a broader education journey.
That combination may be particularly relevant in an economy where Uganda’s links with China continue to grow.
Chinese language alone will not create a career. Neither will a certificate automatically guarantee a job.
But combining useful skills can create possibilities that a single qualification may not provide on its own.
That is perhaps the more interesting part of Luyanzi’s approach.
As the October TVET intake approaches, students are not only being presented with the question of where to study.
They have an opportunity to think about what combination of skills they want to take into the future.
And for someone entering Uganda’s changing job market, technical training plus Chinese language could be a combination worth considering.
