Not all learning happens in a classroom.  Sometimes, it happens under a welding mask, behind a workbench or on a farm. Vocational training is not a plan B. It is a plan for the future – from bricklaying in Eehnana to solar installations in Keetmanshoop to hospitality skills in Swakopmund. 

Namibia is a country full of opportunities. We have diamonds, strong winds, sunshine and beautiful land. But our biggest strength is our young people. 

Sadly, many of them are stuck. They finish school but cannot find work. Some do not get into university, and others leave with degrees but no jobs.

The Namibia Statistics Agency (2024) states that youth unemployment in some areas is over 50%. This is not just a number. It means thousands of young people are sitting at home without hope or direction.

But there is a clear solution: we are not using enough vocational training.What is vocational training?Vocational training means learning hands-on skills like carpentry, welding, farming, mechanics, cooking, plumbing or electrical work.  It gives young people the tools to get jobs or even start their own businesses. Vocational training is not a plan B.  It is a plan for the future. 

We need more people who can install solar panels, build houses, fix water systems and grow food. 

These are not low-level jobs. 

These are the jobs that keep a country running. Many Namibian employers say they cannot find skilled workers even when jobs are available. 

A 2023 report from the National Planning Commission showed that over 60% of employers struggle to fill technical jobs, especially in construction, mining and agriculture. 

So, the real problem is not that there are no jobs. It is that we do not have enough trained people to do them.  This is where Technical and Vocational Education and Training comes in.  It can help us close this gap.

In Namibia, many people see vocational training as something only for students who did not do well in school. 

This is wrong, and it needs to change. In countries like Germany, vocational training is respected. 

Young people combine classroom lessons with hands-on work, and they get paid while they learn.  

In Botswana and Rwanda, governments are investing in skills training to grow their economies. 

We must respect all forms of education. University is good, but it is not the only path to success.

To make vocational education a real option for all, we need to take action.  Build more vocational centres, especially in rural areas. 

Update the curriculum to include modern skills like renewable energy, information and communication technology, as well as agribusiness. 

Run awareness campaigns to show that vocational training is valuable and respectable, like what the National African Students Association is doing.  Create partnerships between schools and businesses so students can get real work experience. Support the NTA and the education ministry with proper funding and leadership.

Namibia does not need more unemployed graduates. 

We need skilled people who can solve real problems – technicians, builders, farmers, welders, electricians and coders. 

These are the people who will build our roads, feed our communities and power our homes. 

Vocational training is not second-class. 

It is essential. It is the future.

*Mandume Gabriel is a students advocate.