Aletta Shikololo

WINDHOEK - Secretary of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Ephraim Nekongo has requested government to reduce the number of nursing intakes at tertiary institutions because many of them end up being unemployed after they have graduated.

Speaking to New Era, Nekongo said: “There is a high number of learners that qualified and want to do nursing at tertiary, but there is already a high number of nursing intakes at tertiary institutions and the number of unemployed nursing graduates is also high. Looking at the country’s economy, how are they going to cater for all these nurses?”  Nekongo urged the government to look into this as a matter of urgency. 

“The government needs to limit the number of nursing intakes to reduce the high number of unemployed nurses in the country,” he stated.

Earlier the SPYL secretary of education Hofni Ipinge had requested the Ministry of Higher Education, Innovation and Training to increase opportunities in the faculty of education and nursing courses at the University of Namibia which is in contradiction to Nekongo’s request. 

Ipinge stressed he only wanted to assist learners that applied for nursing and education but were not admitted because the faculties of education and nursing were already full. 

“If the ministry is limiting the number of nursing and education intakes at tertiary then that is a good idea but all I wanted was the ministry to increase opportunities for the learners that were already ready to study nursing and education and they could not be admitted, which led most of them to be at home as we speak. The consultation was supposed to be made earlier so students would opt for other courses before it’s too late,” Ipinge further stated.

Nekongo appealed to government to terminate the contracts of employees that are incompetent specifically in the health sector.

He also urged learners to think out of the box and not choose careers which would lead them to unemployment because of the high demand, nor to choose careers which will run out at the fourth industrial revolution which is approaching.
He added, “When the fourth industrial revolution comes, the government will be required to lower the wage bill so we are calling for the government to come up with incentive programs to make sure people are creating employment.”
Nekongo appealed to government to expand the agricultural sector and manufacturing base.