Tertiary education reform to address unemployment

Delivering the budget speech yesterday, Kenneth Matambo explained that as a way of addressing this, institutions such as the University of Botswana are taking measures to diversify their academic programmes as well as develop programmes that will equip learners with the requisite skills. He said a more diversified economy has the potential to increase employment opportunities and help reduce the unemployment rate which according to the last Labour Force Survey stood at 17.5 percent.

For the 2011/12 financial year, Matambo said government would continue with the implementation of a comprehensive tertiary education reform programme. Further, he said government is implementing the National Human Resource Development Strategy which calls for development of a comprehensive Human Resource Development Plan underpinned by a sector-wide approach that will ensure that labour demand matches the supply of skilled and educated human resources.