KIGALI - An international symposium on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opened, on Monday evening, in Kigali with various participants highlighting TVET’s role in national development.

The symposium, organised by Rwanda Workforce Development Authority (WDA), attracted TVET experts from the region and beyond, with the aim of sharing best practices and experiences from different regions of the world.

TVET is an internationally recommended hands-on practical training approach which integrates all education systems, specifically the technical and vocational aspects.
Speaking at the opening of the symposium, the CEO of LeaderGen, Marilyn Comrie, emphasised the need for skills development to match with the speed that the world is moving at.

LeaderGen, a consultancy firm, specializes in creating positive global change through the capacity building of established and emerging leaders.

"If the world is changing faster, then is business and thus is the need for skills development to match the speed,” said Comrie.

She drew attention on the relationship between skills and Small and Medium Enterprises’ development and said that skills are crucial in the expansion of SME’s

In his speech, the Minister of Education, Dr. Charles Murigande noted that there are critical issues that need to be addressed in order to build a vibrant, dynamic and economically relevant Technical and Vocational Training (TVET).

"We need a system that will support economic development and the creation of national wealth, hence contributing to poverty eradication,” he said

Murigande maintained that the Government of Rwanda believes that in order to reach a sustainable level of demand driven TVET system, there is a need to establish a flexible TVET system responds to the current shortage of skills, as well as provide the required training to meet future workforce.

"This cannot be achieved without strong partnership between public and private sectors as well as strong linkages with regional and international organizations that share common goals.”  

The symposium is organised within the framework of the ‘Support Programme for vocational Training in Rwanda,’ a programme that was co-founded by the Government of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Belgium.

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