Paheja Siririka
WINDHOEK - Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs), under the Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII), recently graduated a total of 186 students in short courses, ranging from Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Project Management and Events Management.
The ceremony, which was held at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust), saw 56 students graduating from Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Project Management had 55 graduates, while Events Management had 75 graduates, respectively.
NBII, a subsidiary of the Nust, teamed up with the Embassy of Finland and RLabs to offer free courses to Namibian youth.
RLabs Namibia country coordinator Emilia Shikwahmanda said the programs aim to empower young people by providing free training opportunities in different skills that they are eager to acquire.
At the graduation ceremony, Shikwahmanda was ecstatic for the young graduates, expressing: “Investing in people is where one can find their greatest return”.
One of the events management graduates Jaumbavi Tjaondjo said: “The course was fruitful; it is something that I have been doing for a while, and it runs in the family because we have a catering business. It just added to my knowledge,” said Tjaondjo.
He said the feeling of being certified is an overwhelming one. “People would trust you with their events, knowing that you now have the papers to prove your knowledge, and that is what makes this worthwhile,” he exclaimed.
Tjandjo opined Namibian youth should try out short courses, as they are crucial for one’s growth. “Short courses are important, as the impact is instant and they should be taken seriously – then same way people do for degrees and higher certificates,” Tjaondjo told Youth Corner.
A project management graduate Antonius Thimoteus said the program was educational. “It teaches you a lot, and opens up your mind. Short courses are, in general, very important because you acquire extra knowledge that you can use from time-to-time, depending on what course you enrolled yourself in,” said Thimoteus. He said there are a number of youths seated at home without any skills. “I think short courses will help them acquire the knowledge. One can even get a job with it,” Thimoteus told Youth Corner.
Since inception in 2012, RLabs has trained more than 1 000 youth. RLabs is a concept that originated in South Africa in 2008. Currently running in 23 countries in Africa, the head office is in South Africa and has replicated the program here in Namibia.
Staff Reporter
2019-12-11 08:24:20 | 7 months ago
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