OTJINENE – In its continued quest to become self-sustainable, the Okakarara Vocational Training Centre has embarked upon the process of registering a business arm that will strictly deal with sourcing commercial opportunities for the technical centre.
This was shared by OVTC’s centre manager Moses Tjirare in a recent interview with New Era, who said they have already submitted a request to government through the National Training Authority (NTA) for approval to register a business arm which will be run on stringent business principles away from the centre’s operations.
“When approved, the business arm of the OVTC will be the sole source of income for the centre. The business will be running the production units, which are clothing and welding. The same business arm will also be responsible for the projects and various jobs that the OVTC will be allocated by the government,” noted Tjirare.
Established in 1977, the OVTC remains the country’s oldest centre under the NTA, and conducts its operations under the realm of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Act of 2008, which makes provision for the management and control of all state-owned vocational training centres.
Not only for this OVTC, but adequate funding from government to the local VTC’s remains a challenge, and thus leaves the various VTC’s with no option but to look outside for additional business opportunities and funding.
“Funding from government during these tumultuous times remains a big issue. Our shareholder [government] has a number of responsibilities to attend to, and can only stretch their hand to where it can reach. Thus, VTC’s are implored to be more creative and find innovative ways to generate additional income. The vision is to grow a self-sustainable institution, one which will grow its human resources, both academically and in size”, stated Tjirare.
He likewise shared that they are in the process of acquiring a farm close to Okakarara, which will be used for the introduction of agricultural training programmes.
“This farm will also be used for short courses for farmworkers and farmers in the Otjozondjupa region and surrounding regions. Speaking about infrastructure improvement and introducing new courses at OVTC, training equipment, especially for the technical trades, remains a challenge. Given the budgetary allocations from Treasury, VTC’s countrywide must come up with new ways and means to source for income.”
“OVTC management is in talks with industry players to donate the obsolete equipment that can be used for training here at the centre. The response has been somewhat slow, but we remain positive that some of the stakeholders will respond to our plight to address the shortage of equipment and infrastructure,” he added.
In 2021, OVTC through its production units heeded to the call of government by taking up the construction of ablution facilities at a number of schools in the Khomas region. The facilities were erected to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 amongst learners at the various schools.
OVTC makes use of its former trainees from the various trades ranging from bricklaying and plastering, electrical general to plumbing and pipefitting when undertaking such projects.
ohembapu@nepc.com.na