16 Nov 2023

Government through the Minister of Education and Skills Development, pledges its support to skills development in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) at large, Minister Dr Douglas Letsholathebe has said.

He made the remarks during the Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) open day on Tuesday. 

He said TVET held the key to unlocking the potential of the country’s workforce and empowering individuals to contribute meaningfully to the nation.

By investing in TVET, Dr Letsholathebe said government aimed to create skilled workforce that could contribute to the country's economic development and improve the livelihoods of its citizens as it considered TVET as a key component of its effort to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on the mining sector.

“In this ever-evolving world, where technological advancement and global competition shape the landscape of employment and employment growth, it is imperative that we keep our citizens, especially young people, with necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in this dynamic environment,” Dr Letsholathebe said.

 In that regard, he said government had implemented various initiatives to promote and support TVET throughout Botswana. 

These, he said included the establishment of vocational training centres, development of TVET curricula and the provision of scholarships and financial assistance for TVET students at government and private institutions throughout the country from certificate to diploma.

He stated that the ministry was currently responsible for overseeing all three levels of TVET in Botswana, that is, rapid-skilling, artisan and technical programmes adding that the ministry also worked closely with other stakeholders, such as employers and industry representatives to ensure that TVET programmes aligned with the labour market needs.

Dr Letsholathebe said by training people, government was also addressing Sustainable Development Goals No. nine and four of Innovation and Infrastructure.He nonetheless said it was worrisome that reports indicated Botswana’s decline in the areas of skills which reflects among others performance as regards the quality of education training and ease of finding skills in place. 

“The Global Committee's report is GCL 2018, shows Botswana declining in a number of areas relating to human capital and skills availability,” he cautioned. ENDS