10 Nov 2025

Through its focus on scarce skills transfer, Kanye Brigade Centre continues to bolster Botswana’s human resource capital by producing industry-ready graduates.

The centre serves as a decentralised economic engine, particularly in Kanye where employment opportunities are limited. 

The Kanye Brigade emphasises ‘education with production, ensuring trainees are not only skilled but also entrepreneurial, a critical strategy for tackling unemployment in regions with few formal jobs.

In a recent interview, acting deputy principal officer, Mr Ithuseng Nthai revealed that the centre was currently offering three courses: auto mechanics, electrical engineering, and refrigeration, ventilation and air conditioning, with total enrolment across all sections standing at 217 students.

Mr Nthai explained that the centre ran two programmes. The ‘legacy programme’ includes the older Trade Test B and C qualifications, while the newer National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF) programme aligns Botswana’s education system with international standards and is accreditation-based.

Unlike the legacy programmes, the NCQF prepares learners for global market opportunities. Currently, the centre offers NCQF Level 3 in electrical maintenance and installation, and refrigeration, ventilation and air conditioning. 

It has recently gained Level 4 accreditation in electrical and automotive trades, with refrigeration Level 4 accreditation due at the beginning of 2026.

Mr Nthai highlighted that the programmes had contributed  to local industries, where the majority of graduates were employed. He noted that graduates rarely faced unemployment challenges because the skills offered were in high demand and were also scarce.

He cited that Kanye Brigade was the only institution offering the refrigeration, ventilation and air conditioning course, making it the sole source of specialists in this sector.

Across all three courses, he said the centre had secured lucrative contracts with government entities, including air conditioning installations and repairs, electrical maintenance, and vehicle servicing all carried out by students. These projects have demonstrated the centre’s capability and its role in securing government budgets.

Recent examples include the full installation of air conditioning systems at Kgatleng Brigade and Kanye SDA Hospital, as well as the maintenance of cold rooms in several schools. These hands-on tasks showcase the high level of competency and craftsmanship among learners, he said.

During the formative years under the legacy programmes, students took modules in bookkeeping and business management. 

With the new NCQF programme, courses were coupled with modules in business communication and entrepreneurship, equipping graduates to start and run sustainable ventures that can create jobs for others.

The centre conducts annual tracer studies to track graduate outcomes. Observations show that learners, especially in refrigeration, ventilation and air conditioning, and electrical engineering remain actively employed or self-employed.

Mr Nthai commended government for the revised educational support across vocational training centres, including the introduction in August 2025 of a P1 900 monthly living stipend for learners-up from P300.

On enrolment, he said the centre was oversubscribed by 130 per cent and continued to receive unprecedented applications.  Notably, 50 per cent of current learners already hold degrees or master’s qualifications from other universities.

The recent call for applications attracted about 5 000 candidates for just 120 places, making selection highly competitive. According to Mr Nthai, this surge reflected growing national demand and Batswana’s keen interest in the centre’s courses. ENDS