Devt partners should throw their weight behind TVET

For many African countries today, achieving the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals has ceased being a dream. It is now a wish. Because of this ‘failure’, governments that come up with grand vision that seek to fast-track a focused developmental progress end up painting doubts in their nationals.But the Rwandan case is different. The Vision 2020, an ambitious plan to turn the country into a middle-income economy by that year, is a cog mill that is spurring great dreams and hard work in the country. But all the agenda of self-reliance would be too much work on the shoulders of policymakers without the input of development partners.With Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) being the main focus of the education sector, it is commendable seeing partners such as Global Communities, an international NGO, coming in with sponsorship kitty.Seeing just one student through TVET, an education system tailor-made to see the country move away from producing jobseekers, is a laudable feat. So imagine sponsoring 3,000 and creating awareness countrywide that will enlighten the youth on the negative attitudes that becloud them into believing that vocational studies are for academic non-achievers.Rwanda remains ambitious to achieving the second Economic Development and Poverty Eradication Strategy. It is the responsibility of the citizens to make this dream look like a nursery homework by helping the youth to get the most of TVET education. Technical and vocational skills are not just job-creating skills, but are fully employable ones in line with the government’s development agenda.With TVET being the focus in the nation’s education framework, taking home a sizable part of the National Budget, it is important to maintain the momentum by attracting more partners who can provide invaluable technical skills to the youth. The Workforce Development Authority should continue the commendable effort by strategically placing TVET agenda before prospective development partners and investors. It is through these hands-on skills that will ultimately turn Rwanda into a self-reliant, knowledge-based economy.

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Devt partners should throw their weight behind TVET