Over 1,000 graduate at Francistown Technical College

EDWARD BULE
Correspondent | Monday November 22, 2010 00:00

Speaking at the occasion of the 8th joint graduation ceremony, which was attended by more than 30 technical institutions countrywide, the Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Keletso Rakhudu, said that vocational and technical education is important in the socio-economic development of any country.  'Vocational education is training that focuses on a hands-on approach, coupled with the underpinning knowledge and work attitude as opposed to a theoretical approach,' he said.  Rakhudu further added that in vocational training, the trainee is given the opportunity to be practical by using the tools of their field of training and later becoming an apprentice.

Underlining the centrality of vocational training to employment creation, the Assistant Minister said that, instead of giving the graduates the knowledge and skills to be successful and permanent employees, it offers the trainees the chance to become entrepreneurs and employers.

In his view, vocational education brings about skills diversification, which is important to Botswana, given the shortage of skilled human resource in the country.

The assistant minister decried the fact that Botswana has and continues to rely on imported skilled manpower, especially in areas of scarce skills such as science, engineering and technology.

He added that, 'It is our fervent hope that with the development of the vocational and technical sector and the resultant availability of more vocational and technical institutions this legacy will be reversed'.  He said that the expansion of some technical colleges and establishment of new ones as well as the acquisition of brigades was the result of government's commitment to invest in the vocational and technical education. He said that the next challenge is for the ministry to streamline programmes on offer to the brigades so that they respond to the demands of the economy.

Priding himself in the fact that his ministry is training the youth in various technical and vocational skills, Rakhudu said that the route to economic diversification is vocational and technical training.  He noted that the intended transformation in education and training is impeded by challenges such as staff attraction and retention.

Promising to address the concern, he said: 'Due to low levels of pay and the not so attractive conditions of work, this sector is not able to attract the best qualified instructors and lecturers. Even where we have recruited these, we are not able to retain them, as we lose them to elsewhere in industry, this despite the introduction of such initiatives as scarce skills allowance'. Commending the private sector for assisting in the placement and attachment of student trainees within their place of work, Rakhudu said the private sector is an important partner in the furtherance of vocational and technical training. He was pleased to note that there has been an increase in the number of women graduating in vocational and technical education, a sector, he said, had hitherto been dominated by men.

Rakhudu added that, 'my ministry will ensure that this is supported through affirmative sponsorship.' He reminded the graduates that their employers will expect them, ' to add value, to be work-ready and dedicated to the task at hand, to be professional at all times, to get it right the first time always, in order to improve organizational and corporate output for these to maintain a competitive edge'. Giving a welcome address earlier on, the Principal of the Francistown College of Training and Vocational Education, Badiredi Phampha, said he was confident that the graduates are the answer to the global economic challenges.

Despite the optimism, the principal expressed helplessness in the face of challenges such as shortage of staff accommodation, budget constraints, maintenance of buildings and inadequate staffing.  He added, 'Above these issues, there is high staff turn over that affects programme delivery. We appreciate government's initiative of introducing scarce skill allowance to address these challenges. However, in our department it has made minimum impact as we continue to experience an exodus of staff from our institutions'.