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New infrastructure unveiled at technical, vocational education and training centres in the north

New infrastructure unveiled at technical, vocational education and training centres in the north

By Clifton Movirongo.

In unison with the European Union (EU) and Germany last week, the government inaugurated new training facilities at the northern hub vocational training centres, giving hope for better education to scholars in that area.

The inauguration ceremony was held on 16 June, with a celebration on the day of the African Child by all stakeholders involved in the project. Moreover, the total multi-donor financial contribution of the EU and the German government to the northern training hub project, since 2016, amounts to N$148 million.

The facilities and equipment serve as a demonstration of the Namibia Training Authority’s (NTA) commitment to the shared national agenda of robust and industry-driven domestic job creation.

It also serves as a validation of the importance the government assigns to the establishment of a vibrant local Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, officials said.

This comes after the country’s highly segmented labour market and the many shades of employment, underemployment and unemployment, continue to hamper the economic development of the country.

Speaking at the event, NTA Acting Chief Operations Officer (COO), Tobias Nambala, asserted that the NTA will continue to implement more such projects aimed at expanding the TVET footprint to all parts of our country.

The project scope covered a wide array of activities, including capacity building among the trainers and a re-branding exercise which aimed at combating the negative image of TVET, officials added.

Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation ((MHETI)), Itah Kandjii Murangi, in a message, read on her behalf by Deputy Executive Director Raimo Naanda, said it is well known that the successful operation of a modern economy is based on a significant majority of adult citizens earning the income they need to survive and through the work they do.

“It is those in the labour force who produce the goods and services which comprise the modern economy. These workers also generate the majority of taxable income that allows governments to play their economic role, including providing income to those who do not work,” the Higher Education minister said in a message.

This, she attributed to the labour force, on that account, not only is the expansion of the training facilities of the HUB VTCs (Vocational Training Centres) an initiative to bring much-needed training services closer to the people, it is a response to an ongoing national and strategic macro-economic endeavour to create employment opportunities for the people and to support the state’s development and growth, in a sustainable manner.

Murangi further highlighted that other such projects have either commenced or are close to completion. “We reassure the Namibian nation of our commitment to continue creating more quality training opportunities for young Namibians, who are attracted to TVET as a career path choice.”

The novice TVET Hub project was implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the EU and the German government.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the involved donors, H.E Ambassador Sinikka Antila, EU Ambassador to Namibia, and the German Ambassador, H.E Herbert Beck, commended the collective and coordinated effort to support the three VTCs.

Ambassador Beck pointed out that vocational training has a significant role to play in the implementation of the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which aims at among other things, the industrialisation of Namibia.

Accordingly, direct contributions to infrastructure development and procurement of equipment were made to the project. This includes N$ 12 million for construction & N$ 10,8 Million for Procurement of Equipment for NVTC ICT/Electrical, N$2,2 million for construction & N$ 5,4 Million for Procurement of Equipment, N$11,4 million for construction of NVTC Hostel block, N$ 9,5 million for construction & N$ 3,5 Million for Procurement of Equipment (including ICT equipment) for VVTC Auto-mechatronics, N$ 2,2 million for construction & N$ 5,4 Million for Procurement of Equipment (including ICT equipment) for EVTC Plumbing Workshop and an additional amount of N$ 7,8 million that was recently committed to supporting ICT infrastructure & E-learning across the three centres.


HE Herbert Beck, (Ambassador of the German Embassy) on the right and Dr Raimo Naanda, (Deputy Executive Director Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation) on the left. (Photograph by GIZ).


 

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