Higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi this week visited the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre to ensure that everything was in order for the reopening of the institution for the face-to-face teachings.
“We are set to start and continue with face-to-face, WVTC is prepared and ready and they will continue to work. With the classes I saw and with few improvements here and there, everything will be fine,” she said.
Kandjii-Murangi informed Youth Corner that she has been briefed on the status of other vocational training centres around the country and their readiness and preparedness, everything is a work in progress. “The Namibian Training Authority (NTA) which oversees all our VCTs in the country has issued directives of what is expected of them (centres) and those that are ready to resume and others to reach a level of readiness that is required,” stated Kandjii-Murangi.
She said several NTA members have gone out to the centres to ensure that the measures directed by the authority are indeed in place. Kandjii-Murangi pointed out that the academic year cannot be jeopardised, but a balance should be struck to ensure the health of students and trainees.
“We need to ensure that health is addressed and is given the upper hand, especially now as we provide the face-to-face training because this virus is deadly and one wouldn’t want to have it rare it’s ugly head in any of our institutions, so the sooner we adhere to these measures and master them, the better for all us, particularly for our trainees,” she stated.
The minister also advised trainees to take the remainder of the academic year head-on and make the most of it. “I know your academic year was disrupted but now you are there, being back means there is no time for anything else other than your theoretical and practical content. Create space for those that are coming because if you don’t work hard with your instructors, you will be clogging the system and those who are supposed to come in 2021 will not be able to come in,” she motivated.
President Hage Geingob at the recent State of The Nation Address said there has been significant progress regarding the enrolment at the centres. “We have made tangible gains in the number of enrollments at Vocational Education and Training Centres from 16 000 in 2015 to 35 000 student intakes in 2020,” said Geingob.
This has exceeded the Harambee Prosperity Plan target of 25 000 new enrollments. Geingob mentioned that additional building and upgrading of VTCs in different parts of the country commenced during the period under review and this process will be completed in the next three years.
– psiririka@nepc.com.na