24 Jul 2014

Local brigades and technical colleges are failing to produce industry ready artisans, says the Chief Executive Officer of Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) Mr Jackie Moepi. 

He conveyed this during the vocational education and training breakfast seminar held at Tswelelopele Brigade in Ramotswa recently.

“All these years we have been developing the curriculum without the input of the industry and that has to stop,” Mr Moepi said.

The CITF Chief Executive Officer pointed out that the industry is expected to absorb the graduates hence it must play a leading role in dictating the industry standards.

Hence he called upon the industry and the technical colleges to work together in developing a curriculum which would produce skilled artisans that the country needs.

He said that globally, governments are seeing the role played by the technical and vocational training in developing their economies.

However, he raised the concern that the gap which exists in developing the country’s artisan skills has not helped to develop the country’s economy.

Mr Moepi said the reason for the mismatch originate from the fact that the institutions’ curriculums are developed by academics who lack relevant industry experience. 

He said there is need for the schools curriculum not to focus on theories but on producing practical orientated graduates.

“The government has through the ministry of education and skills development seen the need for collaboration to address the skills mismatch,” he added.

Further, he called upon technical colleges and brigades to recruit lecturers with industry experience.

The principal of Tswelelopele, Tlokweng, Naledi and Tshwaragano brigades, Ms Patricia Yezo conceded that the industry in Botswana has shown that their graduates are not industry ready.

“We agree that there is indeed a gap, studies have shown that our students are not where they are supposed to be,” Mr Yezo said.

The purpose of the seminar was to dialogue on how best to address the mismatch.

Further, she said the mismatch has not fully delivered in addressing unemployment among the graduates.

She said they are also faced with challenges such as lecturers without industry experience, lack of practicals for students and failure to teach students with the latest technologies of the used industry.

The half day seminar was attended by industry stakeholders from Botswana Confederation of Commerce and Industry, ministry of education, skills and development, Botswana Qualifications Authority and other industry players. ENDS