07 Sep 2014

A Certificate in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing (JD&M) programme seeks to foster a Botswana signature that does not rely on imported imagery.

This was said by Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi who oversees the Education and Training sector strategic plan, when launching the JD&M programme at Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT) in Oodi on September 5.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said the programme was a deliberate step taken by government to diversify the economy and develop the diamond industry beyond mining.

She said the Botswana Technical Education Programme (BTEP) in jewellery design and manufacturing would provide vocational training of mainly practical nature that would equip candidates with professional knowledge and skills.

Dr Venson-Moitoi further said as part of the national strategy to reduce reliance on primary resources through the development of value-adding processes, government encourages downstream diamond industries or diamond beneficiation from cutting to polishing to jewellery manufacturing in Botswana. 

“However, the domestic fine jewellery market is still small by international standards and the objective of fully implementing the jewellery sector in Botswana is not yet achieved,” she said.

She noted that the development does not only bring glitz and glamour but growth and benefits for other sectors such as fashion, show bizz, transport, property and many others because they are linked and above all create employment.

She said on her special assignment by President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama she has been tasked with the undertaking of the education and training sector strategic plan, which was collaboration between the government and international partners. 

There was need to give the technical vocational training individual and collective brilliance it deserves right from primary education hence “it is crucial to find ways to infuse creativity and innovation into the mindsets of our people in order to optimise the use of our resources.”

Dr Venson-Moitoi said programmes such as this are a response to the government strategy for economic diversification, diamond beneficiation, employment creation and repositioning Botswana as a key player in the diamond business. 

She said this programme also reaffirms government’s efforts to strengthen the private sector by preparing its candidates to partake in the infant jewellery design and manufacturing industry in Botswana. 

For his part, the chairperson of the Programme Advisory Committee, Dr Olefile Molwane said the programme has long been conceptualised, incubated, interrogated and today they witness the launch of the long awaited BTEP certificate. 

He said the programme would serve as a flagship programme which would enhance the diamond beneficiation concept and attempt to fulfil the concepts embodied in the Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) revitalisation processes and outcomes.

Dr Molwane said the advisory committee has been visionary in the design and development of the programme by creating a synergy with subsequent programmes adding that challenges like staffing and facilities should be addressed for the smooth success of the programme.

The principal of OCAAT, Ms Mildred Boduwe said the purpose and potential of the BTEP in JD&M simultaneously address two of the long-term goals of the government.

In her welcome remarks, Ms Boduwe said the programme serves to diversify the skills available in the country and expand the possible scope of the country’s economy while at the same time it would facilitate implementation of the government ambitions to venture into the beneficiation of the country’s most valuable resources being diamonds.

She said Botswana Training Authority carried out a study in 2010 which its findings showed that jewellery manufacturing together with diamond cutting and polishing are amongst six vocational area identified as critical players in strategies meant to increase economic growth while at the same time creating employment.

Ms Boduwe further said with support from stakeholders such as Diamond Trading Company (DTC) Botswana, De Beers, Shrenuj Botswana and Private Collection they would continue to lobby for industry support in provision of material support, qualified manpower and needed industrial attachments places for both staff and students.

She said DTC Botswana has already donated P320 000 which went into putting in place a workshop to be used by students in their course. Ends