Paulina Ndalikokule
Stefanus Nambara
NKURENKURU – The new Nkurenkuru Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Kavango West will open its doors in February next year, with an initial intake of about 100 trainees.
Namibia Training Authority (NTA) CEO Erick Nenghwanya said the centre’s official opening, initially scheduled for November this year, has been postponed to allow for improvement works after the facility failed to meet some operational and accessibility standards.
“The board was not satisfied with certain aspects of the contractor’s work. We have therefore, decided to delay the opening to February 2026 to give us time to fix what is outstanding,” Nenghwanya said in an interview with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology during his visit to the region on Wednesday.
He said one of the major issues identified was the lack of access for people living with disabilities. “We cannot exclude anyone from accessing a public institution. The centre must cater for everyone,” he stressed.
Nenghwanya further noted that Nkurenkuru’s limited accommodation facilities prompted the NTA to plan for a hostel at the centre to accommodate trainees.
“We are running the procurement process this November, and construction of the hostel is expected to start before the end of the year,” he said.
For the first intake, the centre will offer four courses including solar equipment installation and maintenance, metal fabricating, plumbing and pipefitting and clothing production with around 25 trainees per course.
“We will start small, with not more than 100 trainees, and gradually expand as infrastructure improves. Once the hostel and other facilities such as the computer lab and resource centre are ready, we will increase to six or seven programmes by June next year,” Nenghwanya said.
The NTA invested about N$64 million in the construction of the centre, completed in two phases. However, Nenghwanya admitted that inadequate consultation during planning affected the project’s.
“The consultation between NTA, the contractor, and the local leadership was not properly done. Some regional leaders were not involved, which is something we are now correcting. The community must feel ownership of this institution,” he said. He added that some of the remedial work will be carried out by new contractors, as well as NTA trainees from other centres.
Kavango West governor Verna Sinimbo welcomed the development, saying the new centre is a step forward for the region’s youth empowerment agenda. “We recognise the NTA as a key partner in translating both national and regional development goals into tangible results,” she said.
Sinimbo, however, expressed concern that the initial intake of 100 trainees is too small for a region with an unemployment rate estimated at around 52.8%. “It’s a good start, but we would like to see more young people absorbed. Our hope is that additional blocks can be built to accommodate at least 300 trainees in the near future,” she said.
She also urged young people in the region not to wait for the Nkurenkuru VTC to expand, but to take advantage of other vocational training centres across the country.
“Let them not sit idle, there are other centres where they can enrol and gain skills to start their own small businesses. What we want is to see our youth empowered,” she said.
The governor emphasised the importance of proper consultation and community involvement in future infrastructure projects. “Consultation is key. When regional stakeholders are involved from the start, we avoid mistakes that lead to delays or substandard work,” she emphasised.
*Paulina Ndalikokule and Stefanus Nambara are Information Officers at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in Kavango West region