FOR DECADES, vocational training has been considered second-class, with many amongst parents and students preferring conventional education over it.Today, as Rwanda aspires to become a middle income country, vocational training is being fast tracked to boost the local productivity. Eric Nzayituriki, a 21-year-old resident of Muhanga town, Muhanga District, understood the principle and knew it would be easy for him to secure a job or start an income generating activity if he pursued technical training.After completing his O-Level, Nzayituriki directly enrolled at Muhanga Private Vocational Training Centre (MPVTC), located a few kilometres outside Muhanga town.Last year, the young man graduated with a certificate in hospitality and he was immediately employed at one of the top hotels in town, where he works as a cook. "I got this job because I demonstrated skills and commitment during my internship,” Nzayituriki proudly says. "When I completed my internship here, the Manager immediately told me I was hired.” Nzayituriki says when he enrolled for the studies many among his friends laughed at him and ‘some tried to show me that I was taking a wrong direction’. But now, he says, "I have proved them wrong.” OpportunitiesThough he still earns a paltry salary of Rwf 40,000 per month, the 21-year-old says the job enables him to support his parents. So far he has managed to refurbish his family’s house and installed it with electricity.But his determination goes far beyond that: he aspires to become an investor.Using the skills acquired at school, Nzayituriki wants to start a bakery which he believes could bring him enough revenues and create employment opportunities for many other young individuals in his area. "I can make cakes, bread, pastries and many more,” he says of his skills, adding that he is saving money to start the bakery."No one should rely on other’s business for his entire life,” he says with determination.Of recent, the Government has put more focus on vocational and technical training as a way of streamlining the education system to suit the demands of the labour market. It invested money and human resources in the development of vocational training. RWF 13.9 Billion was allocated to TVET schools infrastructure development and equipment project in the 2013/14 Budget. The Workforce Development Authority (WDA), was also set up to oversee efforts to develop the field and encourage Rwandans, especially the youth, to embrace technical and vocational training. With the ongoing efforts, the country aspires to reverse the current trend and bring a big number of school going children to pursue vocational and technical education rather than having a big number of children pursuing mainstream education. But still there remains a long way to go as some members of the society are yet to understand the benefits of technical training.For Emmanuel Dushimimana, the MPVTC legal representative, however, that attitude is a testimony of old mentality which he says people should change."Vocational training offers opportunities for students to acquire hands-on skills which can help them to start their own income generating activities, thus creating jobs for themselves and others,” he says, adding that they are also likely to be employed before those who pursued mainstream education.