08 Apr 2014

The delegates of the ‘Better Education for Africa’s Rise’ (BEAR), tripartite project by Botswana, Republic of Korea and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Tuesday, April 8 paid a courtesy call on the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.

Speaking at the brief meeting the overseer of education and training sector strategic planning, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi expressed her appreciation for the BEAR project. She said the project came at the right time and was bringing positive results in skills development.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said the BEAR project, was worth commending as it was developing one of the paramount areas in Botswana being tourism industry, a key income earner in foreign investment.

She noted Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) was at a critical stage in Botswana as it was behind times and there was need to pick up the pace. She underscored the importance of research pertaining to skills as there was skills mismatch and high rate of youth unemployment in Botswana.

Meanwhile, Dr Venson-Moitoi explained that as part of her special assignment, she working on a proposal to UNESCO to fund research as well as establishment of a Centre for Skills Development, which she said would be the first of its kind in Africa.

The project manager from Republic of Korea Professor Bong Gun Chung, of Seoul National University said their role was to empower Botswana experts from TVET on how to develop a curriculum for the tourism courses getting insights from Korean Research Institute of Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET).

“Among the five BEAR countries, Botswana is leading, doing very well”, he said. UNESCO National Project Coordinator Mr Raymond Doherty said they had a great team which would be able to transform the curriculum, and would get returns in investments once the graduates were employed.

The BEAR project will ensure that three courses under Tourism and Hospitality being culinary arts, travel management and hospitality management are upgraded to the level of Diploma.

Implementation of the courses is expected to take place in August at Gaborone Technical College, Francistown Technical College and Maun Technical College. The BEAR project is also in Namibia, Malawi, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo. ENDS