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Entebbe, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | The Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation is moving to capture a slice of the digital economy, pivoting its state-run print school toward high-demand technical skills to help solve the country’s youth unemployment crisis.
The UPPC Print School, long an anchor of the industrial printing sector, is overhauling its curriculum to meet the demands of a fast-moving global market. The new catalog pushes beyond traditional ink and paper, integrating advanced modules in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and web design.
Caleb Kutamba, the school’s principal, says the institution is leveraging its status as a premier state printer to offer a “production floor classroom”. This model, which blends theory with direct industrial application, has already turned out more than 100 technicians over the last year.
The strategic shift arrives as employers across East Africa hunt for talent capable of navigating the intersection of technical proficiency and digital adaptability.
The revamped curriculum includes specialized tracks in data analysis, digital printing, and computer maintenance. These sit alongside the core pillars of offset machine techniques and desktop publishing, where students train on industry-standard software like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.
Kutamba says the goal is a direct pipeline to the workforce. The strategy is already paying off: UPPC has begun absorbing its top-tier talent into its own commercial printing and publishing wings, while other graduates have secured roles in the private sector.
To accommodate working professionals, the school has expanded its footprint with a Kampala campus at Airways House, offering flexible evening and weekend sessions.
The Entebbe campus also provides hands-on daily evening sessions. Programs range from one-month short courses to six-month professional apprenticeships, all assessed by the Directorate of Industrial Training to ensure they meet national standards.
UPPC is betting that a tech-forward approach will produce the job-ready graduates needed to fuel the regional creative and digital sectors through providing access to a digital library and video-led practical.
