Africa-Press – Botswana. Chobe District Council has graduated its second cohort of beneficiaries of the Ipelegeng Skills Development Component (ISDC) with 40 semi-skilled artisans from different trades.
The artisans were trained in painting and decorating, carpentry, tiling, plumbing, bricklaying and plastering, undertaking on-field training by building an LA2 house in Kazungula and paving the Lesoma access road under the facilitation of the Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF).
Giving a keynote address at the graduation ceremony in Kasane on Friday, Mascom Head of Fintech Mr Tebogo Disele congratulated the graduates for their commitment to pursuing their dreams.
He said they were now qualified to undertake construction and maintenance of public facilities and could also tender for jobs.
However, he implored them to maintain the highest level of professionalism and transparency when they register for tendering companies so that they did not fall in the pit of failed contractors who neglected projects.
Mr Disele underscored that with Botswana’s volatile economy, vocational skills were imperative as many companies were constantly in search of artisans.
“Vocational skills are the future and many companies are looking for artisans, hence I encourage you to use the skills acquired efficiently,” he said.
Chobe District Council Secretary Mr Joseph Segopa explained that the programme intended to close the gap in the construction industry for people with experience but lacking certified qualifications.
He stated that many of the artisans had gained experience from working as labourers but that they were earning less due to their lack of certification.
That he said, would become a thing of the past as they would going forward be enumerated deservedly as they were now properly certified.
Mr Segopa implored the graduates to advance their studies and acquire more skills adding that they should tap into the available opportunities presented by the Kasane-Kazungula re-development plan projects.
He pointed out that the ISDC programme followed government’s decision in 2022 to re-engineer Ipelegeng in order to impart participants with skills that would position them for sustainable employment opportunities.
The CIFT facilitator in Kasane Mr Onalenna Nkisang indicated that the graduates were legal semi-skilled artisans certified by Botswana Qualifications Authority and the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC).
He said CITF used competency-based modularised training where artisans were trained according to their strengths and capabilities by performing practicals.
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