12 Jul 2015

Ministry of Education and Skills Development has partnered with Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) to train young people in required programmes at Botswana College of Engineering Technology (BCET) and Francistown College of Technical and Vocational Education (FCTVE) at both artisan and technician levels.

This was said by the Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse in Parliament on Thursday (July 9).

Mr Autlwetse said under the MoESD/BCM partnership, students commenced classes in September 2013 for a period of four years with an initial total of 100 students enrolled at both BCET and FCTVE.  “The numbers will steadily increase in the future to over 500 in academic year 2016/17,” he added.

The ministry, Mr Autlwetse said has no immediate plans to turn Boteti Brigade into a mining institute or mining arm of BIUST. Rather, he added, the ministry has adopted a national approach to offer skills for the mining industry at other public institutions, for instance, Roads Training Centre (RTC) is in the process of merger with BIUST.

“It shall offer artisan skills for the roads, mining and heavy plant industries. BCET is a specialised college offering artisan and technical engineering programmes, while BIUST is a specialised University for Science and Technology based courses up to doctorate level,” he said.

However, he noted that Boteti Brigade would continue to offer few specialized programmes related to mining such as Borehole Engineering, Plumbing and Pipe Fitting and Electrical Engineering at Certificate level.

Furthermore, the assistant minister said shortage of skilled manpower in the mining industry is across the country, and not just at Boteti Sub district. Mr Autlwetse told the House the skills required by the mines include Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation, Mettalurgical Engineering, Refrigeration and Air Condititioning, Coded Welding and Fabrication, Heavy Plant and Machinery, borehole Engineering, Renewable Energy and Millwright.

He was responding to a question from MP for Boteti East, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe, who had asked the minister if he was aware that there was shortage of expertise in the mines in Boteti East area.

MP Lelatisitswe also wanted to know if the minister would consider turning the Boteti Brigade into a faculty of mining as an arm of BIUST and have the Brigade offer even more mining related courses. Ends