Institutions and stakeholders involved in increasing people’s capacity through vocational and technical training, Tuesday, met at Hotel Novotel to devise approaches and strategies for skills development.

According to Albert Nsengiyumva the coordinator of Rwanda Education and Research Network, the meeting is intended to bring together all the players in the technical assistance domain to harness ideas and create a pool of mechanisms to promote skills development.

"This is intended to bring together all stakeholders in skills development with an aim of harnessing their ideas and mechanisms necessary for accelerating technical skills development in crucial sectors of the economy,” said Nsengiyumva.

He further noted that the promotion of technical skills is not only intended to alleviate poverty but also to equip the country for regional and international competitiveness in manpower production.

During the meeting, a report entailing the current status of skills development in Rwanda, which was compiled after a survey, was read and shared among the participants.

The Minister of State for Secondary and Primary Education, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, underscored in an interview the importance of promoting technical skills development at all levels and in a multi-sectoral sense.

"We have already taken up technical skills development through TVET, it has already started impacting positively and as of now, we are involved in instituting a TVET policy, which we believe will take skills development to another level,” said Mutsindashyaka.

TVET is a Vocational Education Training programme that has been adopted by the government to promote skills development in the country.

Mutsindashyaka added that the success of TVET and other technical programmes will create a vibrant and practical workforce, and that the support the government has given these initiatives showcases how keen it is on this issue.

The TVET is a technical skills program instituted by MINEDUC to develop people’s technical capacities from a young age, with an overall goal of creating an excellent workforce packaged with technical expertise.

It was recommended that the institutions undertaking skills development create partnerships with strategic levels like the private sector, to be assisted in achieving this cause. 

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