Leena Kloppers

Everyone dreams of having a career in a specific industry, occupation, or field of work. A career, irrespective of the capabilities it requires should ideally provide us with fulfilment because we are passionate about it, and it allows us to leverage our natural abilities to make a positive impact in society and earn an income to live comfortably.

At least in theory that is how it is supposed to work. 

Let us take a closer look at what happens in real life.

What would you advise someone who is considering a career in bricklaying and plastering compared to civil engineering or architecture career? Would you advise someone to study at a Vocational Training Centre (VTC) over a university? If so, who would you send to a VTC and who would be suited to study at a university?

What would influence the answers to the questions posed?

If you live in Namibia, the chances are high that you would advise the individual to pursue a career in civil engineering or architecture over bricklaying and plastering at one of our private or public VTCs. 

Let us consider for a moment why we would do that. 

While there could be many reasons, one significant driving force for that advice would be the perception that “bricklaying and plastering” are less prestigious than “civil engineering and architecture”. 

We may take pride in saying our child is studying to be an architect at the university because that signifies that “my child is highly intelligent”. While the one who studies at a VTC only chose that path because s/he was not “smart enough” for university. 

This is because we tend to value the perceived “income and social standing” a career provides over the “natural abilities and passion” a person has for a career. 

Yes, it is important to choose a career wisely. We need to look at whether the chosen career path best suits your interests, passion for the career, and capabilities and whether there is demand for it.  

However, many times careers can be chosen solely on the social standing and status that a particular profession carries. A secretary has a less prominent social standing and status than a position of a CEO. 

How many times have you heard a person say, “I am just a secretary?” versus someone saying, “I am just a CEO”?  A person who graduates from a VTC will be less regarded compared to a graduate from a university simply because of the stigma that is attached to VTCs that they are a lesser form of education compared to a university education.

If social standing and status are the only criteria used when choosing careers, and people are only valued based on their careers alone, then we are performing a major disservice not only to ourselves but to our country as well.

Let us go back to our example of the architect, civil engineer, and bricklaying. 

Firstly, they are all professions within the construction industry, but they have different roles, responsibilities, and levels of expertise. An architect is a professional who is responsible for the overall design and aesthetics of the building based on the needs and preferences of the clients. A civil engineer will focus on the technical and structural aspects of the building and is the professional who ensures that the design is safe, durable, and compliant with the engineering standards and regulations. 

The bricklayer is a skilled artisan who understands those blueprints and specifications and brings the construction envisioned by the architect and overseen by the civil engineer to a reality that you can see, touch, and use. 

Their training and expertise in their distinct and interconnected roles and disciplines create masterpieces in construction. In other words, the three skilled professionals need to work together to build the homes we live in, the places of worship we attend, the shopping malls and restaurants we frequent and enjoy, the classrooms we study in, the offices we work in, and so on. If everyone was to become an architect and civil engineer, we would not have the actual buildings.

While the example I gave is specific to the construction industry, this principle applies to every aspect of society. A hospital cannot be run by doctors and specialists alone, no matter how highly they are regarded. 

They need administrators, accountants, nurses, lab technicians, radiographers, pharmacists, etc to perform their work properly.  Try living in a world without drivers, waiters, security guards, cleaners, etc and you will soon realise how much each job contributes to the functioning of a successful society.  

To value one profession over another simply on the social standing or the income it brings is to severely undermine the value each human being brings through their different careers to make a society function, grow, and thrive. 

This principle was very aptly explained by a wise man in the New Testament named Paul, who once used the imagery of body parts to highlight how every part of our body is uniquely designed to help the body function.  

We would never say that our eye is more important than our ears or that our hands are more important than our feet. This is because we understand that each part plays a critical role. If our entire body was an eye, how would we hear? If our entire body was hands, how would we walk?  Furthermore, if we injure or neglect any part of our body, the entire body suffers. 

To build the Namibian nation and achieve the national development goals, we need to first identify, value, and nurture the capabilities each Namibian child possesses as a gift given to make this world a better place instead of narrowly categorising it as “less or more” than the other. We then need to enhance those in-born capabilities through equitable access to education, training, and professional and personal development. 

Let us strive to build a country that values and respects every positive contribution each citizen makes through their capabilities without discrimination. 

Let us develop those capabilities in whatever form they appear to create a more inclusive and fulfilling learning and work environment that enables individuals to reach their full potential and make meaningful contributions. This is how we can create a better tomorrow for Namibia.

“I am because we are and since we are, therefore, I am” – An Ubuntu philosophy.

*Dr Leena Kloppers is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust). The opinions expressed in this piece are her own and not the views of her employer.