10 Sep 2018

Collaboration between learning institutions and industries is critical in producing industry based students.

Speaking at a stakeholder’s breakfast seminar in Francistown, the director of Human Resource Development Planning at the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), Dr Ellah Matshediso said there was still lack of collaboration between learning institutions and industries to produce job market requirements through engagement.

Human Resource Development Planning is a structure under HRDC created to lead and oversee the country’s shift from resource based to human resource based economy. She said successful economies depended on collaboration between industries and learning institutions hence industries played a critical role in student’s skills development.

Dr Matshediso explained that the engagement was aimed at enhancing employability and to reduce dependency on government and to become self-employed.

“Botswana is in a transitional phase from a mineral resource based economy to a knowledge based economy hence the need for industry and institutions to work together to bridge this gap,” she added.

She explained that one of the mandates of the director of Human Resource Development Planning was to alleviate constrained government funding by promoting institutional efficiency and effectiveness for value edition.

“Thus improving student retention and success in institutions through favourable student support services,” she added.

 She stated that the department existed as the ‘front runner’ in planning for education and training and providing a conducive environment for planning of skills development.

Speaking at the same event, manager of claims assessment, Ms Kebabonye Molosiwa lectured on the HRDC Fund, which she explained was only accessible by private industries.

“This is a training fund that has been established for skills development in the country and operates through a levy grant system where companies pay a levy into the fund and are reimbursed costs that they incurred for training for their employees,” she said. Ms Molosiwa said challenges faced by the fund included fraud, accreditation issues, low commitment by industries as well as exorbitant pricing of programmes by training providers.

The main objective of the seminar was to create awareness and educate stakeholders about the mandate, functions and strategic initiatives undertaken by HRDC as well as to interact with stakeholders and get their views about effective ways of transforming Botswana from a natural resource to a human resource based economy.

The other objective was to seek a buy in from stakeholders in driving the implementation of the National Human Resource Development strategy as well as bringing HRDC products and services closer to people. ENDS