Kerth Harvest Ithana
Namibia’s premier digital enabler, MTC has given support to the University of Namibia (Unam) with a total of N$864 000 towards Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programme.
The programme is a three-year-long undertaking between 2019-2021 and committed to assisting students to get practical attachment in industries and community settings, in order for them to graduate whilst at the same time preparing them for the job market.
Beneficiaries of this programme are offered a monthly stipend of N$3 000 per month for three months attached period. This stipend is to assist them with cost of transport and other necessities.
Lovisa Nghipandulwa, the Unam Industry and Cooperative Education Coordinator and who also serves as a member of the MTC National Internship Steering Committee, has confirmed that about 50 Unam students have benefited from this programme to date, through the various WIL placements at various organisations and government ministries in the country.
Nghipandulwa said that; “The return on this investment has been evident through real-world opportunities availed to students to apply their theoretical knowledge, allow them to graduate as WIL is a mandatory requirement of most academic programmes, further employment opportunities are offered to beneficiaries, and significant initiatives by interns that saw ordinary Namibian citizens benefiting.”
“The MTC National Internship Programme is a purposeful initiative which stemmed from our responsibility as a corporate to the nation and is driven with a collaborative stance between institutions of high learning and private institutions. The key focus is to assist students that require internships to graduate and subsequently create job-ready and experienced graduates,” said Tim Ekandjo, MTC Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer.