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Home / Nkurenkuru VTC, a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step
Nkurenkuru VTC, a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step
2017-04-26Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter Windhoek Nkurenkuru Vocational Training Centre (NVTC) is inviting applications for its second intake before the application period ends at 16h00 on June 1. Applications must be submitted with an application fee of N$50 and further details. Application forms and a brochure are available at www.ubhglobal.com where they can be downloaded or can be requested from training@ubhglobal.com. Those in Kavango can collect application forms at the college. The registration fee is N$1,500 once off per year and students are required to pay a deposit of 10% of the total tuition fee together with the registration fee. The tuition fees include the cost of books, but only students who have paid the 10% deposit at registration qualify for trade uniforms. The intake is for Office Administration Level 1, which includes computer studies as a compulsory module, and the foundation of managing the administration of an office – like writing office documents, organising meetings and filing. Agriculture Level 2 includes basic computer studies, as well but branches into livestock administration on a farm or agricultural business and crop science for basic setting up of a basic vegetable garden. The minimum entry requirements for both trades are Grade 10 with 21 points. However, those with vocational certificates in the relevant trades they are applying but do not have enough points in Grade 10 may be accommodated. Trainees from vulnerable or minority groups (eg. San Community) would be considered favourably. The centre does not have hostel facilities but has a list of properties trainees can rent at an affordable rate of below N$700 including utilities and excluding food. All of the accommodations are within a walking distance from the centre. Office Administration takes six months in class and six months of internship for Level 1 and that applies to Level 2 and 3.Agriculture entails eight months on site with intense practice and three to four months of internship for both Level 2 and 3. The two trades accredited with the Namibia Qualification Authority (NQA). The first intake, especially for Office Administration is to complete all units/subjects by end of May, including practicals. It takes an average of six months to cover level I (one) content and they are due for six months attachment/internship mid-June. The Agriculture class is a different story, as the centre is amongst the first cohort of training institutions to offer this trade at the National Vocational Level and it has proved a bit challenging to cover the content. The centre envisages a maximum of eight months to complete this course. The available office space only allows for two classes per trade for the two trades running parallel. Trainees will not qualify for government assistance until the centre has been fully registered and accredited. “We are hopeful that we will be ready to have the National Training Authority (NTA) for the next/final audit in May 2017, as we are working on the areas to improve, as per their first audit. The standard is that between NTA and the National Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), VTC students get full loans for tuition. We are in discussion with other local and international entities for student support and are expecting favourable responses, as well. I believe there are tonnes of resources in this world and all we lack is the ability to tap them and I am willing to do that for all the students that go through this college. Drop-out is not terminology that will find place in this college,” said Kenao Mujoro, founder of the centre. “We are determined to set very high standards for the college’s image and this will create a huge challenge in terms of demand. We will have an overflow of applications, as we are experiencing that now from the local communities. “The added challenge will be of addressing the gap of the many young female drop-outs wanting to come back to school, as Kavango has the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country. There is a need to introduce a bridging course in the VTC setting as soon as possible,” she adds. When fully fledged the college will offer broad courses in 15 trades, which include agriculture, office administration, hospitality, garment making, plumbing, carpentry, public health, welding, electrical engineering, motor-mechanics, media, bricklaying & plastering, natural resources enhancement, ICT and arts and cultural studies. 2017-04-26Staff Report 2
