Public-private partnerships key to successful TVET policy

Editor, Re: “Rwanda partners with Germany to build TVET sector” (The New Times, September 13, 2015). I read with keen interest your article on the Rwanda-Germany TVET conference which was held recently in Berlin. President Paul Kagame recently stressed the importance of public-private-partnerships. Please allow me to share with your esteemed readers that the world class, award winning SevenHills Hospital in Mumbai has launched a unique TVET programme for Rwanda. After a very successful “pilot project” wherein the Nursing Director along with two other nurses from Butaro Hospital were imparted with a month-long “Advanced Training and Familiarization Programme” here in Mumbai, the top management hospital team, during their visit to Kigali for ‘Rwanda Calling 2015’, announced their TVET programme, under which as many as forty-eight nurses from various hospitals in Rwanda would be sent to Mumbai for a comprehensive one month training. The next batch of four nurses, selected by the Ministry of Health, is now getting ready to fly into Mumbai for this training. What is very heartening to note is that this healthcare partner has also taken on two management graduates, Annick Ingabire, from Kigali Institute of Management, and Emma Umutoniwabo, from University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology, who are presently undergoing a six-month TVET training in medical tourism, international marketing and hospital management. Such initiatives are in line with the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 objectives. Clarence Fernandes, Mumbai, India

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Public-private partnerships key to successful TVET policy