11 Dec 2017

Government is committed to transforming Botswana from a resource based economy to a knowledge based economy, President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has said.

Giving a keynote address at Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) 2017 graduation ceremony in Gaborone on December 9, he said in order to achieve such, the country needed an education system that fostered critical thinking, creativity, entrepreneurship and integrity.

“The ultimate goal of our education system should be to produce well rounded citizens,” he said.

He said government understood that skills development was directly linked to employability and entrepreneurship, hence, through the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, government made a commitment to refocus education and training towards the fulfilment of a more diversified and knowledge-based economy.

President Khama said to attain this milestone, the match between qualifications and labour market requirements was being monitored through Human Resource Development Council, thereby ensuring more closely aligned to future employment needs.

“We are looking forward to having our first National Human Resource Plan before the end of this year. The plan will assist us in focusing our training and development,” he said.

The President said BAC was a living testimony of the partnership between public and private sectors that had benefitted the government, Debswana and Botswana Institute of Chattered Accountants (BICA).

He said the collective approach to human resource development had shaped curriculum development and delivery at BAC that had resulted in producing market ready graduates.

“I would like to appeal to all stakeholders to participate in the skills and capacity building of our youth by offering scholarship programmes for undergraduate programmes as well as other professional programmes,” he noted.

He commended some private companies that offer scholarships to students for further studies.

He said the initiative would have a greater impact if private companies and public entities incorporated tertiary education scholarships as part of their corporate social investment and goodwill to the communities in which they operate and serve.

BAC executive director, Ms Serty Leburu commended President Khama for his significant contribution in the economy of Botswana.

“We are proud to be Batswana because of the good governance you have continued to thread and bestow over this country,” she said.

She said BAC appreciates the support and government’s commitment to educating Batswana to become a knowledgeable society that can self-sustain.

She said BAC had for the last 21 years of existence been recognised as one of Botswana’s most innovative and entrepreneurial institutions renowned for quality education.

She said the college was the only institution that had produced chartered accountants from a home grown BICA programme in collaboration with Institute Accountants of England and Wales, having produced 14 BICA graduates who are all employed.

More than 650 students graduated from BAC that has had more than 952 certified professional accountants in the past five years.

The graduation ceremony was also graced by dignitaries among them representatives of BAC collaborating universities of Sheffield, Sunderland and Derby.  ENDS