The recently concluded World Economic Forum saw thousands of people from across the globe come to Rwanda. A lot of things were discussed and resolutions were made to see that Africa can take off in terms of economic development. Regarding education, it was noted that vocational education, among other interventions, will add momentum to skills development and steer Africa into economic empowerment.

For skills to develop, the 21st century African governments were called upon to put more effort in vocational institutions. To consolidate this, developing economies have put emphasis on ICT for the development of a better education system, as well as linking ICT with vocational training in order to spur the development of an inclusive knowledge-based society.

Skills gaps

Patrick Buchana, the chief executive officer of AC Group, a company that promotes smart transport, says that the skills gaps are not just an issue in Rwanda but all over the continent, noting that soon, Africa will host a large portion of the world’s workforce.

"This means that we really can’t afford to wait to build huge and world-class universities; we need to, for instance, use the power of the internet that is readily available in Rwanda with the roll-out of the 4G. We can invest in learning online without waiting to be taught everything at university. The world has evolved very fast and employers are looking for employees that have various skills, way beyond what they were taught at university and the job market is becoming competitive for one to just sit back and rely on a degree,” says Buchana.

He adds that the current employer looks at a lot more than a degree.

"We try to identify people that are willing to learn fast, able to invest in learning more and always updating their skills to be in line with the changing technological environment and those are the people that own the future of Africa. We can’t afford to wait for Harvard to be built in Africa, we can find Harvard online,” he says.

MFI Office Solutions general manager Srinath Vardhineni notes that the skills gap is everywhere and the only way it can be ironed out is by adding more value and resources in vocational training.

"Vocational schools are the backbone of skills development. They equip learners with the rightful skills through more practical work and less of theory,” he says.

Srinath also argues that internship programmes ought to be embraced more so that by the time students graduate they have acquired enough skills to compete for a place in the labour market.

In an Interview with the project coordinator of the National Employment Programme at Workforce Development Authority (WDA), Abdullah Nzabandora, he said that vocational institutes provide hands-on skills and experiences that initially lacked among the youth.

He noted that due to the growing specialized labour market demands today, economies also require high skill levels, adding that vocational education can give the answer to that challenge.

"Therefore, at WDA, our goal is to ensure that we find creative outlets for those students who are interested in hands-on skills, which is a safe haven in our skills development in Rwanda,” he said.

Katabarwa Lameck, an educationist and parent, says that vocation education is the only answer to an increasing level of unemployment in not only Rwanda but also other developing economies.

He notes that it is imperative that early investment in the future of the children should be improved by introducing and emphasizing vocational education for high school students.

John Karangwa, the monitoring and evaluation officer of the National Employment Programme at WDA, citing the Skills USA, a national organization that is geared towards ensuring that America gets a considerable number of a skilled workforce, emphasizes that vocational training makes it much easier for students to excel later in life.

"In America they have projects to ensure proper monitoring and sponsoring of these vocational programmes.

Rwanda has adapted a similar model and the National Employment Programme is geared towards increasing the number of skilled workers throughout the country in all disciplines,” he says.

According to Hope Iribagiza, a teacher, in light of today’s economic challenges, vocational education provides one of the safest educational platforms.

Godfrey Nkurunzinza, an economist, says vocationalisation is the only tool developing economies can use to meet the skills that match with the demand in terms of relevance and quality.

Richard Rugwe, a teacher at King David Academy, says vocational studies are of great significance since they provide training in new skills and occupations that can address the issue of unemployment and to maintain the employability of workers, as well as the sustainability of enterprises.