E-learning training hub established across three northern technical training centres
Each of the three vocational training centres at Nakayale, Eenhana and Valombola is now equipped with a modern E-learning Resource Centre to enable apprentices to have direct access to digital training resources for enhanced and fast-tracked learning.
The resource centres were handed officially to the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation, during a ceremony at Valombola at Ongwediva by the sponsors comprising the European Union and the German Government through its development agencies.
At the ceremony, Valombola Centre Manager, Mr Hinandjovo Muashekele, represented all three centres which now together form a so-called training hub, each with its own resource centre.
The EU Training Hub is implemented under the Promotion of Vocational Education and Training project, a joint technical cooperation project of the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The total financing cost for the current 3-year cycle up to March 2020, comes to Euro7.6 million.
Sharing resources among the three centres is the driving motivation for the hub’s creation. It also allows a certain level of specialisation, offering diverse training that conforms to the higher levels of the National Qualifications Framework. This is done in cooperation with the private sector.
As part of the process to make the hub operational, the workshops at each centre were refurbished and equipped with modern equipment that supports quality technical training of apprentices, and for training of trainers in more specialised subjects, all on the back of a modern e-learning methodology. The upgraded centres can now also accommodate more apprentices.
Mr. Achim Schaffert, the Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Namibia, said “One of the main factors related to poverty is the high unemployment rate, with women and young people most affected. Similarly there is a serious shortage of skilled labour in most sectors. One of our key aims with the training hub is to contribute to a skilled labour force that will be able to find or create job opportunities”.
“Although the programme has a regional focus it is expected that the lessons learned at the regional level can be scaled up to national level,” he said.
