06 Mar 2017

 The first ever skills fair and career clinics held in Francistown by Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) has exceeded expectations.
Speaking in an interview with BOPA at the end of the fair on March 2, HRDC stakeholder relations manager, Ms Faith Tuelo explained that her team managed to achieve the overall objectives intended for the fair as they received students from as far as Tshokatshaa and Bobonong.
Ms Tuelo however noted that there was a low turn-out of students from senior secondary schools despite the fact that they had been invited. She also added that they were satisfied with the response they received from students in their Facebook page.
She noted that in the future, they were going to encourage both students and parents to attend.
One of the students, Ms Tebogo Kamanga from Selebi Phikwe said she was happy with the fair as she managed to get all the information on possible courses she could pursue.
For her part, Mr Theo Masunga said it was a good opportunity for the students to make informed choices just a week after their Form Five results were released.
He however condemned institutions who wanted students to apply for courses they were offering without affording them the opportunity to make informed decisions, something that could lead them into choosing wrong career paths.
Ms Kopano Bogopa from Francistown College of Technical Vocational Education (FCTVE) asserted that although the fair was successful, a lot of students were still confused on what they wanted to pursue in their education.
This, she highlighted, showed that there was need for continuous career guidance even after the fair, adding that over time, the fair would have an impact on student career choices and thus encouraged community engagement on the fair.
She recommended the staging of road shows by HRDC to educate students in distant locations. ENDS