Uganda Technical College Elgon

Uganda Technical College Elgon (UTC Elgon) is a government tertiary institution in Eastern Uganda, about 14 km from Mbale on the Mbale–Budadiri road at the foot of Mount Elgon. It began in 1931 as a technical school and artisan training centre that trained First World War veterans in technical skills. It became Elgon Technical Institute in 1972, offering technical certificate courses in engineering craft, and in 1984 it was upgraded to Uganda Technical College to offer diploma courses in engineering alongside its craft courses. The college says it plans to become a centre of excellence in the construction trades. The college is governed on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Sports by a Governing Council appointed by the Minister. It is run by a Principal and Deputy Principal, and has four academic departments: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Information and Communication Technology. Its national diploma programmes include Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and Mechatronics. Students can study on government sponsorship or private sponsorship. Students live in campus hostels: eleven for men and three for women. New students get an orientation week. The college has a library, computer labs, laboratories and practical workshops, and a medical centre with a ward that refers severe cases to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. The Dean of Students' office runs guidance and counselling. There are inter-hostel sports competitions in football, netball and volleyball, and the campus has both a church and a mosque.