Budget prioritises market-ready skills for youth employment
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday February 11, 2026 11:54
Presenting the 2026–2027 Budget Speech yesterday, Gaolathe said that despite significant public investment in education, learning outcomes have not kept pace with spending, resulting in a persistent gap between expenditure and performance.
He warned that this efficiency gap continues to constrain Botswana’s long-term growth prospects. “Education outcomes have not kept pace with this level of investment, resulting in a mismatch between spending and performance. This poses a serious threat to our long-term growth trajectory,” he said.
Gaolathe noted that weak human capital development has suppressed labour productivity, limited employability, and undermined the country’s ability to diversify into higher-value, knowledge-intensive industries.
According to him, improving the effectiveness of education spending is critical to ensuring that training and learning outcomes are closely aligned with labour market demands and the skills required in a modern, technology-driven economy.
“Strengthening the impact of education investments is essential to unlocking Botswana’s full potential and building a workforce capable of driving sustained economic growth and structural transformation,” he said.
To raise the standard of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), Gaolathe announced the introduction of three key policy and legislative instruments, being the Treasury Education Financing Policy, a new Higher Education Act, and a dedicated Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act.
He said the framework is designed to modernise governance structures, enhance quality assurance, expand access, and ensure sustainable funding across the education sector.
“These measures will help create an equitable, high-quality, and forward-looking education system that directly supports human capital development and long-term economic transformation,” he said.
Gaolathe further revealed that the government is rolling out the Education Transformation Programme to drive system-wide change through flagship initiatives, including the National Education Blueprint, TVET revitalisation, and the establishment of multidisciplinary centres of excellence.
'The programme will align curricula with industry needs, integrate digital and green skills, and reposition TVET as a preferred pathway into productive employment. By 2030, the reforms are expected to significantly reduce youth unemployment and the number of young people not in employment, education, or training, while supplying industry with job-ready graduates critical for economic diversification,' Gaolathe said.
The minister also announced that the government will embed TVET graduates in key public sector functions, including facility maintenance, fleet management, and the manufacture of protective equipment.
He said this initiative will convert training into hands-on work experience, allowing graduates to demonstrate their competencies while contributing meaningfully to public service delivery.
“This approach will ensure that technical skills are effectively harnessed, create sustainable pathways for youth employment, and reinforce the strategic value of vocational training in national development,” he said.