Effect of employable skills acquisition during industrial attachment on holistic TVET certificate graduates in Kampala Metropolitan, Uganda

Abstract

Industrial attachment serves as a critical bridge between theoretical training and workplace readiness in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Yet, in Uganda, the effectiveness of industrial attachment in producing employable graduates is undermined by poor coordination, weak supervision, and persistent misalignment with labour market demands. This study examined the effect of employable skills acquisition during industrial attachment on holistic TVET certificate graduates in Kampala Metropolitan. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, collecting quantitative data from 375 graduates using structured questionnaires and qualitative data from 10 key informants (principals and industrial partners) through interviews. The findings reveal that industrial attachment provides hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment, opportunities to practice technical skills, acquisition of new job-specific techniques not taught at institutions, practical knowledge of industry safety procedures, and strong job-seeking confidence, with industry supervisors entrusting trainees with increasingly complex tasks. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship between employable skills acquisition and holistic graduate outcomes (r=0.606, p<0.001), with regression analysis showing that employable skills acquisition explains 36.7% of the variance in holistic graduate outcomes (R²=0.367). Qualitative findings confirmed that attachment provides access to equipment not available at institutions, enables skill reinforcement through repeated practice, teaches quality standards through exposure to models such as Japanese 5S, develops time management through profit-driven deadlines, and builds confidence with many trainees retained by host companies. The study concludes that industrial attachment is a powerful mechanism for developing technical competencies, but its effectiveness depends on attachment duration, supervision quality, and placement relevance. It recommends extending attachment duration beyond the current six weeks, establishing an employer recognition scheme for quality supervision, implementing a national safety certification scheme, and creating a new technique repository to inform curriculum updates.