KEETMANSHOOP – The construction of the Keetmanshoop Vocational Training Centre (VTC) is 89.5% completed, and it is expected to be fully completed by the end of August this year.
The construction of the VTC at the southern town, which is expected to cost N$103 million upon completion, was funded through a loan from the African Development Bank.
The tender was awarded to Shanxi Construction & Investment Group in January 2022. However, late last year, another subcontractor Ponoka Trading Enterprise was appointed to finish the project, which was 64% completed at the time.
During the visit to the centre by deputy minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation Natalia |Goagoses on Thursday, site project manager Archman Robert said the centre will be handed over to the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) right after completion.
“I am very confident that we will be done by the end of August. Some of the buildings are completed, and we will, by the end of May, partly hand them over for the validation process to start, while the other buildings only need tiling and ceiling,” said Robert.
NTA technical and vocational education and training(TVET) standards manager Amon Haufiku said it is their hope that by January 2025, the centre will welcome its first intake.
“The actual training will start by January because there is a process. We need to advertise for trainers before we bring in the trainees. We want this centre to be a centre of specialisation, whereby students come from the other centres to specialise in whatever courses they are doing,” he added.
The overall capacity of the centre is 140 students.
On her side, |Goagoses urged learners and the inhabitants of the ||Kharas region to grab the opportunity brought to their doorstep and create jobs for themselves and others, as well as to contribute to the development of the country.
“Of course, this centre is a national centre, but the children of this region have a competitive advantage. They should walk into this centre and get their qualifications. Technical training is the thing that all of us must seek to accelerate Vision 2030. We don’t want to import skills for these new industries. Government is creating opportunities; learners should grab them. However, as an institution, we should not lower the standard, but we should encourage learners to study hard and get into these centres,” she said.
The construction includes four small workshops, an administration block, a classroom block consisting of two classrooms, ablution facilities, a guardhouse and student accommodation.
The centre is located in the Noordhoek residential area on 3 000 square metres of land that was bought from the Keetmanshoop Municipality for N$4.5 million. -Nampa