In a bid to equip graduates from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with industrial skills, the Workforce Development Authority (WDA) and the Private Sector Federation (PSF), are discussing ways of harmonizing industrial training programmes.

A one-day meeting brought together officials from WDA, PSF and development partners with an aim of seeking ways on how to develop one harmonized industrial training programme to be used in implementing TVET.

Speaking at the meeting, WDA Director General, Albert Nsengiyumva, highlighted the need to equip graduates from technical schools with practical experience that employers need for them to be useful to the industry.

"Our ultimate goal is to boost the employability skills crossing any kind of career and that the local market needs,” he said

Nsengiyumva added that harmonization of training programmes will equip graduates under TVET with the industrial skills hence enhancing their competitiveness as well as employability.

He said that industrial training is not a common practice in the Rwanda, adding that it is carried out by few training institutions but not doing so in a systematic manner.

According to Antoine Manzi Rutayisire, the director of employment in PSF, the federation received a grant of Euro 4.2m from the Royal Kingdom of Netherlands to support TVET development in the sector. 

"Our main focus is to strengthen capacity of private companies, especially the industrial sector, in promoting technical and generic skills through internship programmes for fresh graduates,” he said.

He noted that PSF internship programme wants to equip graduates from technical schools with the practical experience that employers need.

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