There is no justifiable reason why the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector cannot thrive in Namibia – absolutely none, and here is why.
Namibia has a small open economy, with very limited industrial capacity and a high reliance on imports. What this as a consequence means is, the country is forced into a corner to either be dominant at office-based services or machine servicing as part of the key economic activities.
Consider all the machines imported in the country to attend to; mining, construction, medicine, manufacturing, farming, transport, storage and the like. Who ensures that these machines are functioning as they ought to?
Technicians, right? What do these technicians study? What would be the ideal background for them to have to be able to fix those machines? The long and short answer is TVET.
When boosted, work will not have to stop while a machine operator is expected to arrive from Germany or South Africa, for example.
Namibia can benefit from TVET in several ways, including skills development because TVET programmes in Namibia provide practical skills and knowledge to the workforce, which helps individuals gain employment and contribute to the country’s economic development.
As a consequence, the overall Namibian workforce is also developed as: TVET institutions produce a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of various industries, including construction, manufacturing and services.
A developed workforce is able to see, seek and exploit opportunities and in furtherance the reduction of unemployment, mainly because TVET equips individuals with employable skills, and as a consequence there is a reduction in unemployment rates as the citizens are provided with opportunities for gainful employment.
In all of this, there will certainly be a realisation of economic growth.
A well-trained workforce can contribute to economic growth by enhancing productivity, which can lead to increased investment and job creation.
Innovation is also bred by TVET, because this technical sector fosters training in emerging technologies and practices, helping Namibia stay competitive in the global market.
New ideas are also developed that could have Namibia not only become a TVET country, but also a birthplace for ideas and products that are critical to other industries.
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