NQA to recognise skills gained outside classroom

Namibians who have acquired skills through years of work experience, self-learning and informal training could soon have those competencies formally recognised by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA).

Speaking during a regional public awareness engagement on the policy in Rundu last week, NQA head of qualifications Joseph Amunyela said Namibia can no longer afford to overlook valuable skills simply because they were not acquired in a classroom.

“Many people have the skills, but not the paper. We need a system that recognises both,” he said.

Amunyela pointed to artisans, mechanics and other skilled workers who have developed extensive expertise over many years but remain excluded from formal recognition due to a lack of certification.

“It is time we start recognising the knowledge and skills that already exist within our communities,” he said.

The proposed policy, currently being presented to stakeholders across the country, seeks to strengthen the recognition of prior learning by allowing practical skills gained outside traditional education systems to be assessed and certified through nationally recognised qualifications.

Amunyela said the core objective for the proposed National Policy on Qualification Standards is to ensure qualifications reflect real competence, not only academic achievement.

“Qualifications must reflect real knowledge, real skills and real competencies,” he said.

Quality teachers

The policy also places renewed emphasis on the quality and qualifications of lecturers, trainers and assessors.

“We cannot talk about quality qualifications if we are not talking about the quality of the people delivering them,” Amunyela said.

“There must be standards. The people training others must themselves be qualified.”

Beyond quality assurance, the policy seeks to address a persistent mismatch between qualifications produced by institutions and the demands of the labour market.

“Are we producing graduates for the job market or for the streets?” Amunyela asked.

He said training programmes must increasingly respond to emerging sectors such as green hydrogen, oil and gas, renewable energy and technology, if Namibia is to fully benefit from new investment opportunities.

“The first people who should benefit are Namibians,” he said. “If we do not put our house in order, nobody else will do it for us".