Experts seek incentives for TVET

Education experts from the East African Community (EAC) have called on their governments to support to the Technical and Vocation Education and Training (TVET) sector to ease surging unemployment within the region.The officials made the call yesterday during a-one-day international conference on the draft Rwanda TVET Qualification Framework (RTQF) in Kigali.Acting Principal of Qualifications Standards at Uganda Vocational Qualifications Framework (UVQF), Joshua Kunya, said that the majority of the people in the region regard technical and vocational education as a field for failures, which, was not true. “There is a lot that happens in the technical fields and, as it’s always said, no nation can develop without a strong technical arm,” Kunya noted. “It’s very important for the EAC member states to create awareness of the importance of TVET because it will enable the region to achieve sustainable development.”He praised the Workers Development Authority (WDA) for its efforts to establish a TVET qualification framework in the country saying it will positively impact Rwanda’s education sector.He called for the involvement of employers and employees to assess the TVET sector, saying this will enable the sector to offer quality education.Tanzania’s Timothy Manyaga from the National Council for Technical Education (NACTE), commended WDA and the TVET system for graduates to obtain enabling skills, knowledge and a positive attitude in the labour market.“I know most people in this region think that technical and vocational education is for failures; but the vehicles people drive, the equipment we use both in offices and homes are serviced by the technicians. So it’s imperative not to ignore this sector but to instead give it more support and attention.”Andre Busago, a school management specialist for Burundi’s Vocational and Technical Centres, said his country is also in the process of establishing a TVET qualification framework to boost the sector.He cited one of the challenges still facing the sector as an erroneous feeling among TVET professionals.“Currently over 80 per cent of Burundi’s economy depends on people who are engaged in TVET related activities. But the main challenge is that they are still in the informal sector. The government is planning to increase the number of those in the formal sector through TVET.” He said that the Burundian government is drafting laws to promote technical and vocational training in the country.Speaking to The New Times, the Director General of WDA, Jerome Gasana noted that the main mandate of WDA is to equip the public with theoretical skills in the TVET sector and also practical skills to address the various issues facing the nation and create self employment opportunities.He said that the main objective of the conference was to share experiences on how best a TVET qualification framework can be established.Gasana said that the TVET qualifications framework would enable graduates compete favourably with others on the regional and international labour markets.Earlier this year, the government announced plans to increase the number of students pursuing TVET courses to 60 per cent of the total secondary school student population in the country.According to Gasana, for the country to achieve its vision 2020, some of the key areas to focus on include ICT, agriculture and livestock, renewable energy, tourism, construction, customer care and multimedia industry.