30 Jan 2020

The Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) will develop learners guide on careers and support schools career guidance activities with materials and expert advice, its chief executive officer has disclosed. Speaking at a media briefing in Gaborone on Tuesday, Dr Raphael Dingalo said the intention was to ensure transformation of the education sector to meet the needs of the economy.

He said transformation was needed for stronger institutions offering quality programmes and to engender strong links between institutions and industry. He said HRDC fair and career clinics held annually were aimed at stimulating quality education in public and private tertiary institutions by ensuring adherence to set standards.

Dr Dingalo also said the skills fair and career clinics were geared at promoting the education and training sector while reflecting, engaging and discoursing on strategic issues within the educational sphere.

“The two events create maximum awareness as well as educating the stakeholders and the public on how the fair and career clinics contribute towards the growth of the education and training sector in Botswana,” he said. Dr Dingalo said they also helped students to explore and make informed decisions on career paths as well as to appreciate all types of careers and how they contributed to a well-functioning society.

This year’s skills fair and career clinics will be held in Francistown from February 26 to 28, in Maun from March 3 to 4 and in Gaborone from March 23 to 27 under the theme: Career Guidance: the Foundation for Knowledge Based Economy.

Dr Dingalo pointed out that the envisaged knowledge-based economy would utilise knowledge to develop and sustain long-term economic growth. The knowledge economy framework, he said, would focus on four pillars necessary for success being economic and institutional regime, innovation system, information infrastructure and educated workforce.

He said the National Human Resource Development Plan was geared at increasing supply of skilled labour in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, improving entrepreneurship skills and technical, vocational education and training as well as research and innovation .

ENDS