NIMT introduces special courses for out-of-school youth

KEETMANSHOOP NAMPA Students who passed Grade 10, and even those who failed that grade, now have a chance of studying for a national vocational certificate at the Namibian Institution of Mining and Technology's centre at Keetmanshoop. NIMT executive director Eckhart Mueller said the first trainees doing this special course will be joining the institution in August this year. Mueller was speaking last week at the handover of two hydraulic machines from the Rotary International Club in Luderitz to NIMT. These machines are valued at N$1 million. Providing more details on the course to Nampa afterwards, artisan training principal Hendrik Koekemoer said students who had done Mathematics, Science and English are welcome to apply for admission, regardless of their symbols. We want to give a chance to out-of-school youths who did not pass or reach Grade 12 to study and have a career, he said. A total of 15 students will be admitted at Keetmanshoop, and will receive practical training for one year in welding, diesel mechanics and fitting and turning. Once they complete the course, they can go and work for five years to gain experience. Thereafter, they can return and write the final assessment to receive the certificate, which would make them qualified artisans, he said. Koekemoer said the Keetmanshoop NIMT centre will also introduce a skills training programme for unqualified people with three years' experience, starting in August. Companies must apply for their employees, and when admitted, the individuals will get practical training on three levels within three years. After that, they will be assessed, and receive the National Vocational Certificate, Koekemoer added. If an employee has significant experience in a particular trade, he or she could be exempted from Level One, and thus start at Level Two already. The special training course has been offered at the Arandis, Swakopmund and Tsumeb centres since March 2007, while the skills training programme has been offered since the institution's inception in 1990.