Sostenus Wilherm
National Assembly member Willem Amutenya has called on the National Youth Service (NYS) to extend its recruitment age limit to include Namibians aged between 31 and 35, arguing that the age group remains critical to the country’s social and economic development.
Amutenya welcomed the NYS’s decision to revise the admission requirements for its 17th Intake of Voluntary National Service Training, saying the move demonstrated that the institution was responding to concerns raised about access to its programmes.
“Thank you to the NYS for responding to our call and acknowledging our concerns. In the next intake and moving forward, I urge inclusion of the 31–35 age group,” Amutenya said.
He said Namibians in this age bracket should not be excluded from youth empowerment initiatives simply because they had passed the current age threshold.
“This is a critical generation of young people who are building families, trying to establish careers and businesses; and increasingly taking up positions of national leadership,” he said.
According to the NYS, the 17th Intake will accommodate unemployed Namibian youth aged between 16 and 30 for six months of National Service Training at the Henties Bay and Rietfontein training centres from September 2026.
The revised requirements also seek to accommodate applicants who intend to pursue Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes after completing the six-month National Service Training, which includes discipline and patriotism orientation.
Under the revised requirements, applicants with Grade 10 under the old curriculum must have obtained a minimum of 18 points in six subjects. Applicants with Grade 11 or 12 under the new NSSCO or IGCSE curriculum require at least 20 points in six subjects, including a minimum F symbol in Mathematics, English and Physical Science or Physics.
Applicants with a vocational background must have a minimum of 18 points in six subjects and hold relevant pre-vocational school certificates. Physical Science is compulsory for applicants intending to enrol in technical trades.
The NYS further requires applicants to submit certified copies of their identification documents, school-leaving certificates or reports and other supporting documents.
Applicants must also be prepared to undergo a medical examination and be physically fit. Tertiary qualifications such as diplomas or degrees will be considered an added advantage.
The NYS said recruits with low grade points would primarily be considered for further admission into TVET skills programmes after completing National Service Training and would not be expected to demand employment in sectors for which they do not meet the prescribed requirements.
However, those who meet the recruitment requirements for particular sectors will be given equal consideration.
Amutenya said expanding the programme to include the 31–35 age group would have benefits beyond individual skills development.
“Empowering this age group is about strengthening families, communities and the future leadership of Namibia,” he said.
The NYS has set Friday, 14 August 2026 as the deadline for applications for the 17th Intake. Application forms are available on the NYS website and can also be collected and submitted at the NYS Head Office in Windhoek West, the Henties Bay and Rietfontein Training Centres, or Regional Council offices.
