16 Dec 2019

Parliament has been informed that enrolment for all learners who applied for training programmes at technical colleges and brigades were carried out at the department of skills development headquarters.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Mpho Balopi said admissions were now done at institutions using the relevant committees and adhering to the stipulated admissions criteria for accredited programmes.

He said the capacity for all 3 brigades and four technical colleges for 22 accredited programmes was 9 091 learners against a total enrolment of 13 468 learners enrolled in the 2019 intake.

The lecture/student ratio for vocational training stands at 1:16 as approved by Botswana Qualification Authority, however, the lecture/student ratio varies from 1:8 in forestry to 1:86 in instrumentation.

“Out of 28 courses, six are not accredited at all while the remaining 22 were registered and accredited by Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) under the old regulations which remain operational to date and 951 learners were enrolled in the unaccredited programmes,” he said.

The of lack accreditation, he said was a result of a misalignment between the timing of commencement of the vocational programmes which the economy needed.

He said his ministry had been working with all relevant stakeholders to correct the situation to optimize learning while staying within the law and attaining the require accreditation prerequisites.

In this regard, he said institutions conducted aptitude tests to place learners who were enrolled in unaccredited programmes being absorbed into accredited programmes.

He further stated that consultations with intuitional leadership were on-going to explore various training models that could be adapted to accommodate high enrolment of trainees in the institutions while learners who were not absorbed into accredited programmes would have to wait for the next cycle of enrolment.

Mr Balopi indicated that the Matsiloje training was a character-building program which was meant to enhance work ethic for lectures and the ability to manage a diversity of learners as admissions were open to learners of different characters.

He said the ministry spent P427 217 on payment of subsistence allowance of brigades and technical college lectures and P 613 672 was spent on food protective clothing and subsistence for life skills trainers.

Palapye MP, Mr Onneeile Ramogapi had requested the minister to update Parliament on the status of enrolment, teaching and learning in brigades and technical colleges as well as the accurate status of all courses as to how many where credited. Ends