Over 17,000 students who passed their O-Level national exams and applied to join vocational training schools could not be admitted due to limited space. Out of 37,000 who applied, only 20,000 were admitted in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

The fact that the demand for TVET is on the rise is good news as far as government’s effort in creating a skilled labour force is concerned. Indeed, vocational education is what holds the answer to the 21st century labour market skills needs.

There is need for urgent measures to address the current shortage of vocational training institutions to meet the government objective of having at least 60% of secondary school leavers join TVET.

However, government alone cannot achieve this objective and thus public-private partnerships will be key in ensuring that more TVET institutions are put in place.

While in the past it was every parent’s dream to have their children go through conventional schooling, today this is gradually giving way to deliberate TVET systems across the world. TVET systems have turned the developed countries into the world’s most industrialised nations.

Therefore, Rwanda is on the right course and private players should heed the government call to set up more TVET institutions across the country.

If more private players work closely with government to establish more TVET centres, it will address the challenge of shortage of facilities as TVET demand continues to spiral up annually.

Government should increase the necessary support including incentives to investors in TVET in order to grow the sector.

This will go a long way in boosting government’s ambitious target of creating 1.5 million jobs over the next seven years.

Also alongside establishing TVET institutions, there is need to train more TVET teachers.