FRANCISTOWN: The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) assistant minister, Aubrey Lesaso has hailed the Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) for continuing to play an essential role in the training and development of Batswana in Francistown and other northern areas.
Lesaso made the remarks on Friday when the BAC campus celebrated its 15 years of existence. “The theme of these celebrations 'Celebrating 15 Years of Growth and Excellence, Taboka Francistown' could not be truer, as we see how the presence of the campus in Francistown contributes to the economy of the city and the Northern region as a whole and the country.
The campus is strategically placed to develop skills for the north and for working professionals in northern Botswana to upskill and re-tool without having to travel far,” Lesaso said at the auspicious ceremony.
“The growth of the Francistown Campus is not just an achievement for BAC, but an achievement for MoESD as well. Education and skills contribute to social and economic development. Therefore, I applaud BAC for its commitment to delivering qualifications and imparting skills to develop human resources for the past 15 years in the Northern region.
What gives me even more pride, is how practical BAC programmes are, which allows students to undertake research and come up with practical solutions,” he added. It is evident that skills developed, Lesaso continued, at BAC are not only geared towards employment, but the institution also has made significant contributions towards cultivating and nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship.
“I am confident that the entrepreneurs BAC produces and advancements made by the Francistown Digital City Project as it grows will develop practical solutions not only for Francistown but for Botswana and the rest of the world. This is the change of mindset that is required to transform and impact lives, grow the economy, and allow us to achieve prosperity for all,” a jovial Lesaso said.
BAC Executive Director, Serty Leburu said that the theme of the celebrations “reflected BAC’s deepest and most sincere gratitude to the evolution we have undergone over the years, and we would have not achieved this without your support". "This evolution is evident today as we now host 408 students against the 46 we started with...” Leburu added that the growth in the number of BAC graduates is reflected in its alumni in the market who are contributing significantly to the economy.
“At inception, we just offered the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). In 2010, we introduced a BSc. (Hons) in Computer Systems Engineering, in 2013 we introduced the School of Business and Leisure to offer a BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management, a BA (Hons) in International Tourism Management, and a BA (Hons) in International Salon Management. In 2016 we introduced a BSc. (Hons) in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, in 2017 because of our growth, we had to move to this campus, and in 2018 we introduced the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. We now have over 1,000 alumni who have graduated from this campus,” Leburu clarified. In his closing remarks, Deputy Executive Director of BAC, Oaitse Gabadirwe said that although the day was a significant milestone for the institution, it was also a moment of reflection. Gabadirwe then thanked MoESD for the invaluable support the ministry has offered BAC over the years. He also extended his thanks to the leadership of Francistown and other stakeholders for supporting BAC.
