02 Nov 2014

The chief education officer for Lobatse region, Mr Tumelo Rakgabo has appealed to brigade graduates to exploit their acquired skills, talent as well as qualifications for the good cause of employment creation.  

Speaking during a career fair held at Lobatse Brigade on October 31, Mr Rakgabo said qualifications acquired by graduates did not guarantee them employment.

He urged them to think out of the box and look out for challenges around them, which they could convert into business ideas that could be exploited as the world today, requires great thinkers with high propensity for innovation.

Mr Rakgabo said such a move could help reduce dependency on government. “We do not want to create a dependency syndrome,” he said. He said vocational education equipped trainees with all the necessary skills that crafted them to become competitive in the global market who in turn contribute to the country’s economy.

Mr Rakgabo said vocational training improves the livelihoods of Batswana and is a vehicle for household food security as well as empowering other citizens through engagement in income generating activities and projects. 

It was also a vehicle for promoting sustainable economic diversification and reducing poverty. He said the government had contributed enormously to make positive changes in the lives of Batswana, hence the need for graduates to become active members in utilising the available business funding under the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and other established entities.

Mr Rakgabo further challenged graduates to reflect on their values as they are about to join the corporate world.  He said workplace ethics were critical and integral in fostering increased customer satisfaction, productivity and teamwork.

Graduates were urged to uphold the national values of botho, diligence and to be customer focused as well as speeding up service delivery. He said those values were the bedrock of success for businesses. 

Mr Rakgabo said good ethical practice creates sustainable value and helps businesses and individuals to achieve their objectives. 

In her welcome remarks, the school head, Ms Mary Mabua said career fair is a platform for sensitising trainees about the world of work and business investment opportunities that are available in the market.  

She encouraged trainees to utilise their skills and talent to identify opportunities and snatch them. Representatives from Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET), LEA, Debswana Mine-Jwaneng, Geological Surveys, Can Manufacturing Company and Lobatse Canvas graced the occasion and also offered some motivational talks to the graduates.

Most of the representatives urged the graduates not to undermine vocational education but rather compliment it to be productive orientated. The career fair was held under the theme “Vocational Education advancement to the world of industry.”  ENDS