Although uptake of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is on the rise in the country, the majority of those who enroll for it often seek to avoid the burden of job search. TVET is almost a given ticket to job opportunity.

That is at least how Irenne Nsengiyumva, the deputy director for training at Workforce Development Authority, sees the level of satisfaction of interest in technical and vocational training institutions among Rwandans.

But wisdom has always dictated that inculcating ideals in children at early age helps shape the love for what they are exposed to.

It is against this background that the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre East (IPRC-East) in Ngoma District, Eastern Province, has devised an initiative that seeks to introduce children to the ideals of TVET at early age.

‘Space for Children’

The polytechnic has created what is dubbed as ‘Space for Children’ programme designed to introduce the basics of TVET to children every year during holidays.

Nsengiyumva said the initiative was vital and called on other TVET institutions to adopt it.

"Space for Children programme has two major impacts that can be vital in our society: preparing the future workforce in huge numbers and creating a future workforce that has the willingness for the jobs that come with TVET qualifications,” he said.

Nsengiyumva said, today, most Rwandans have come to love TVET because it leads to job opportunities instead of having it as career they are passionate about.

"We need a workforce that was nurtured in technical and vocational environments like IPRC-East is doing and it is possible,” he added.

Since the inception of the Space for Children at IPRC-East in 2014, 250 children have benefited from the programme. This year’s session saw 111 children oriented in TVET from November 21 to December 23.

Ephrem Musonera, the principal, concurred that this will have a direct impact on the children.

"The future of these children is clear. They will have no complications in deciding their career because they have been exposed to everything at early age,” he said.

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