Technical and vocational education training has gained worldwide recognition for reducing youth unemployment and stimulating national economic growth, Deputy Executive Director of the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation, Raimo Naanda has said.

Speaking here on Thursday during the second national education conference, Naanda said as a result, the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation determined that its 2005 Vocational Education Training (VET) policy needs to be revised, hence the introduction of the revised TVET Policy in March 2021.

“Despite the gains made by the country’s TVET sector over the years, we still believe it is necessary to revise the policy in the hope of addressing many of the challenges currently faced by the TVET sector,” he said.

Naanda explained that the policy seeks to address priority areas such as improving governance and management by realigning the mandates of existing agencies, decentralising governance and management of public TVET centres and enhancing the quality and relevance of TVET programmes through adequately qualified teaching and training staff. It also seeks to review curriculums to respond to industry and future skill needs, improve the TVET quality assurance system and upgrade facilities and equipment.

He also stated that the ministry intends to improve on-the-job training programmes and increase access and equity by harmonising and linking pre-vocational education with TVET, providing opportunities for persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups to access TVET programmes, providing adequate e-learning infrastructure and training equipment, and intensifying TVET advocacy.

“The ministry intends to encourage research and development. We also want to diversify sources of funding and equitable financing by exploring and facilitating alternative sources of funding, as well as having transparency and accountability in financial resource management,” he stated.

Naanda noted that monitoring, evaluation and reporting are critical components of the VET Policy, and that as a result, the ministry developed a five-year implementation plan to ensure that the strategies and activities outlined in the implementation plan are carried out.

“We have identified a number of critical stakeholders to assist us in implementing the activities in the implementation plan and will be expected to report on progress achieved on activities assigned to them on a quarterly basis,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency