Providing better employment and development opportunities through an improved and expanded TVET system

Project description

Title: Promotion of Technical Vocational Education and Training III (ProTVET)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)​​​​​​​
Co-funded by: European Union (EU)​​​​​​​
Country: Namibia
Partner: Namibia Training Authority (NTA)​​​​​​​
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI)​​​​​​​
Overall term: 2016 to 2024

Participant in the World Skills Africa competition accepting his prize

Context

Namibia’s TVET sector remains supply driven. The economy’s need for higher-quality vocational education with new and reformed qualifications is not adequately addressed. Namibian TVET institutions have limited capabilities to meet needs and can only absorb one-third of applicants annually. Youth without secondary education, especially from marginalised rural communities, do not have equal access to quality training due to a lack of information on training opportunities. Other barriers are the costs of training, accommodation and transport. Improving The TVET system is one of the Namibian government’s core development strategies in a bid to reduce youth unemployment. This is reflected in the country’s development goals, which explicitly refer to improving the TVET system. The cabinet approved a revised TVET policy and implementation plan in March 2021. The policy emphasises that a substantial expansion and improvement of the quality of TVET can only be achieved through a joint endeavour by the State, civil society actors and the private sector.

Objective

The Namibian TVET system is improving in terms of efficient governance, labour market relevance and capabilities.

Approach

ProTVET supports the Namibian government’s endeavours to transform and expand the TVET sector and address labour-market needs through activities in the following three fields:

  1. Improving the regulatory and steering functions of the relevant ministry to make the TVET system more efficient.
  2. Expanding the provision of labour-market-oriented TVET with a new strategy for centres of excellence, more robust self-governance of public Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) and closer coordination between these and private training providers in the same trades/occupations.
  3. Consolidating the institutional capabilities in the gender-responsive education, training and development of TVET personnel.

Last update: January 2023

H.E Ambassador Herbert Beck unveiling the official plaque at Valombola VTC at the Inauguration of workshops