23 Sep 2019

A total of 92 students from Ravos Technical College were recently conferred with certificates in Early Childhood Education, Health and Certificate Management as well as Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. 

Speaking at the college’s first graduation ceremony the Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Mr Moiseraele Goya implored graduates to venture into businesses in order to create employment for themselves and other young people. 

He said as Botswana’s national agenda called for the transformation of the economy from resource to knowledge-based, their skills and competencies were needed to achieve this. 

He underscored the need to improve human capital so that it could be beneficial when minerals got depleted. 

Minister Goya urged them to use the skills and knowledge they had acquired to uplift their families and improve the economy of the country. 

“As you go out, do not waste your time trying to look for employment but rather think of creating employment by starting your own companies as this will also open avenues for others to be employed. As a country, we are currently burdened with unemployment, especially among the youth. Do all that you can to help the government resolve this problem,” he said. 

However, he said even though the government was committed to supporting local businesses, it was crucial for them to produce high-quality products that were competitive in the international market. 

Mr Goya commended the school management and parents for their efforts in imparting knowledge and supporting the learners to achieve their goals. 

He also applauded graduates for their dedication and commitment to their studies. 

He called on them to be good ambassadors of the institution as they joined the society. 

“As you leave, be good ambassadors of this great institution that has transformed your lives. Come back later and plough back to the college so that it continues to produce more graduates,” he noted. 

For his part, director of Luther University Dr Ishmael Noko noted that the graduation ceremony was a historic moment for Ravos Technical College and Kanye in general. 

He said when the college started, there was no hope but there had been remarkable infrastructure development over time. 

He lauded the Botswana government for acknowledging education as a fundamental component of people’s lives. 

He underscored the need to nurture early childhood development as it was also a structural way of educating the nation. 

In his welcome remarks, Ravos Technical College director Reverend Dr Cosmos Moenga said the ceremony was not only for graduation but for celebrating history in the making. 

He noted that they were bound to encounter teething challenges as the event was the first in the history of the institution. 

Dr Moenga said the college was unique as they trained learners so that they could go and give back to the community. 

He further noted that the training encompassed moral and ethical aspects that would go a long way in moulding learners to be different. 

He urged graduates to use their certificates to contribute towards the development of the country in various areas. 

The student representative council president Ms Nolwandle Ncube noted that the graduation was the beginning of a long journey of reality for the graduates. 

She said with the knowledge and skills they had acquired during their stay at the institution, she was confident that they were destined to transform the country. 

She also appreciated the good relationship between the college management and the student community, which she said enabled the learners to achieve their goals. Ends