Stigma hampering TVET growth - NTA

Elizabeth JosephWINDHOEKThe potential growth of the country’s vocational training sector is being hamstrung by stigma - despite the vast amount of resources made available to change its fortunes, the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) said.There has seemingly also been a slow uptake of the financial resources allocated by the NTA to institutions which operate within the country’s job market.The authority recently intensified its efforts after the rollout of its apprenticeship programme to ensure students are market-ready.Official figures made public show that the NTA spent over N$114 million on the investment in apprenticeships since 2018. Some of the sectors that benefitted from this funding include manufacturing, agriculture, maritime, construction, mining and telecommunications, among others.NTA acting CEO Muvatera Ndjoze-Siririka said partnerships between the training body and stakeholders is part of ongoing means to build better and improved relationships, which - in turn - will result in improved planning and performance.In the shadowsHe said technical and vocation education and training (TVET) remains in the shadows in post-independent Namibia, mainly due to the stigma that follows enrolment.“Engagement is a two-way process. It is about consultation, collaboration and partnership,” he said during a stakeholder meeting earlier this week.He added that the programme will allow better cooperation between training providers and employers as well as an increased alignment of TVET programmes with current industry practices and skills.Furthermore, it will provide continuous feedback from employers on the performance of apprentices and currency of TVET curricula, increase motivation for apprentices and enhance TVET’s reputation, he added.Minimal uptakeThe sectors that seemingly showed the least interest in funding – with minimal uptake from stakeholders - included business services, mining and agriculture.On the other hand, manufacturing and automotive, hospitality and tourism, wholesale and retail as well as telecommunications were among the top beneficiaries from funding emanating from the apprenticeship programme.NTA’s manager of work integrated learning Dalia Mwiya urged all training providers, interested employers and industry stakeholders to make use of the availed funding.Private or public institutions that meet the set requirements can apply to receive funding before the application period lapses at the end of this month.

Stigma hampering TVET growth - NTA

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-17

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Stigma hampering TVET growth - NTA

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-17

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