Martin Endjala
The Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation, Raimo Naanda has called on the technical committee to find solutions and recommend a sub-framework which is in alignment with that of both Technical Vocational Education Training and basic education qualifications.
The Deputy Executive Director said this today at the official launch of the inception meeting of the Technical Vocational Education Training qualifications sub-network technical committee in Windhoek.
The launch will focus on the priority to transform the country’s Technical Vocational Education Training sector in order to improve access and to continuously raise the standards of training for thousands of young people.
“We dare not fail and cannot be found wanting. We must be agile and responsive”, said Naanda.
Naanda stressed that this is very crucial as the Technical Vocational Education Training sector is a responsive and industry-relevant sector that stands central in overturning unemployment challenge, which is amongst one of the country’s biggest stumbling blocks towards a modern economy.
Additionally, the impact of unemployment in a very highly segmented Namibian labour market continues to impede the economic development of the country.
Much is being achieved regarding systematic redress, access, progression, quality and transparency in the context of the country’s National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which is administered by the Namibia Qualifications Authority and serves as a single national framework of all qualifications and learning achievements, Naanda said.
He however said that the current framework falls short as it does not adequately provide clear articulation pathways for holders of the Technical Vocational Education Training qualifications registered.
Adding that this has been a source of frustration not only for the ministry and the Namibia Training Authority, but especially for holders of national TVET qualifications, who as a result are held back in their desire to further their education and job preparation.
“The unfortunate reality is that due to the lack of a fit-for purpose articulation framework, these graduates find it difficult to articulate into mainstream TVET due to NQF levels between basic education and TVET not aligning with each other, for example, grade 11, which is the formal admission requirement for formal TVET is pitched at NQF level3”, Naanda pointed out.
However, national TVET qualifications which also begins at level 1 are problematic, the Deputy Executive Director said,
Naanda has since urged the tasked technical committee to grab the bull by its horns and ensure that stakeholders’ inputs are solicite and to identify barriers.
In addition to this, the Deputy ED further indicated that reports on the first three objectives have already been submitted to the ministry, of which one of the objectives is looking at creating access for both persons of disability and manginalised to TVET qualifications.
Meanwhile, the Namibia Training Authority Acting Chief Executive Officer Muvatera Ndjoze-Siririka said that the Higher Education Ministry has tasked the NTA as the regulatory body for the TVET sectors in Namibia to spearhead the work towards the development of clear pathways for both the vertical and horizontal progression of qualification on the NQF as well as the development and implementation of admission requirements for TVET sector.
Ndjoze-Siririka maintained that in giving effect to these assignments, terms and of references have been developed as guiding principles to develop the TVET qualifications sub-framework within the NQF learning pathways and articulations from basic education, to TVET to higher education and training.
“The value of the work that lies ahead cannot be overemphasized indeed. Any opportunity to come together and engage on how we as partners in TVET can better our important work in the delivery of TVET service is an opportunity that needs to be embraced by all”, maintained the NTA Acting CEO.
