19 Nov 2018

Government has no intention to close the Madirelo Training and Testing Centre (MTTC).

Minister of Employment, Labour, Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo said when responding to a question in Parliament on November 17 that  MTTC was earmarked for use as an Instructor Training and Management Centre following the transfer of the moderation and assessment function to the Botswana Examination Council (BEC).

“Cabinet through Directive CAB 10 (A)/2017 directed my ministry to rationalise MTTC, CITF and brigades.  

Rationalisation entails transformation of CITF into Rapid Skills Development Centre (RSDC) with a broader mandate of training semi artisan and artisans on various skills required by the economy.  

Furthermore, my ministry was directed to transfer short term training carried by MTTC to RSDC,” Mr Mabeo explained, adding that assessment and moderation of vocational training, which formed part of the mandate of MTTC is being transferred to BEC.

Detailing the background of the institution, Mr Mabeo said MTTC was established under the Apprenticeship and Industrial Training Act No.2 of 1983 to provide apprenticeship and industrial training, trade testing to apprentices and employees in various trades.

CITF on the other hand was established by Statutory Instrument No.139 of 1991 under the Finance and Audit Act as a fund, whose objective was to facilitate Batswana artisans or craftsmen in construction trades.

He further elucidated that MTTC had a total of 69 industrial training officers whose responsibilities included setting moderation and conducting of practical examinations across six vocations.

Mr Mabeo said 14 of these officers had received transfer letters to brigades to technical colleges, and their conditions of service remain the same as stipulated in the Public Service Act of 2008 and General Orders.

“My ministry has an establishment of 1 500 employees in the Department of Skills Development, 922 of which are instructors spread across 39 brigades and vocational training centres.  

Currently there is an oversubscription of bricklaying, and plastering instructors as applications for 2018 intake clearly show that there is a decrease in the number of students interested in studying the programme,” Mr Mabeo said.

He further said that a total of 868 applications were received for certificate in bricklaying/plastering and 44 instructors are required for the said number of students across 23 institutions offering bricklaying and plastering. 

“The excess number resulted in some instructors being transferred and redeployed to teach painting and decoration, which they were initially not trained on.

 Excess instructors are being retooled/trained on painting and decoration at CITF as this falls within the construction trades like bricklaying and plastering,” Mr Mabeo explained.

The minister was answering a question from Ramotswa MP, Mr Samuel Rantuana, who had sought to know about the co-existence of MTTC and CITF and if there were any plans to close the former.

 He had also wanted to know the number of instructors and conditions of service of those transferred from MTTC to different brigades and the lecturers or instructors’ skills mismatch. ENDS