Africa-Press – Botswana. The Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) plays a pivotal role in promoting research and innovation through coordination, support and promotion of university-industry linked research.
Responding to a question in parliament, Assistant Minister of Ministry of Higher Education, Mr Justin Hunyepa said over the years HRDC collaborated with various industries to address skills shortages.
Through its recent agreement with Ministry of Communications and Innovation, to coordinate the Botswana Robotics and Automation Skills Transfer (BRAST) project, Mr Hunyepa said the council marked a significant step in integrating cutting-edge technology in the country.
“The BRAST project aims to bridge skills gap in Robotics and Automation, fostering a knowledge-based economy and economic diversification.”
The assistant minister said skills mismatch was not the only contributor to youth unemployment, adding that HRDC was monitoring skills development initiatives through continuous monitoring of the labour market and producing annual skills reports.
Additionally, he said the council also conducted stakeholder engagement to dialogue on redundant future skills, and also monitored implementation of institutional plans to ensure they deliver new programmes relevant to industry and technological achievements.
Furthermore, he said HRDC recognised the role of workplace training in shaping the workforce, hence encouraged employers’ participation in human capital development. In 2017 and 2019, Mr Hunyepa said impact studies were carried out by the council, which showed that employers perceived the HRDC as a good initiative which if the legislative environment and administration was improved to meet industry needs, it would go a long way in skills development for a better Botswana.”
Therefore, to ensure that the operational instruments that include the Act and regulations were responsive to the ever-changing landscape of the modern workplace, the assistant minister said there was need to review legal instruments such as the HRDC Act, regulations and policies.
“The full implementation of the HRDC mandate requires that all funds are established. However the ministry is still in the process of establishing the Public Tertiary Education Institutions Fund and Tertiary Education Student Support Fund,” he added.
Lobatse MP, Mr Kamal Jacobs had asked the minister if he was, satisfied HRDC was effectively fulfilling its mandate to align education and training skills with the needs of the labour market.
Lobatse MP also wanted to know what accounted for congestion in the market of many training programmes and the skills mismatch between market needs and graduate skills.
He also wanted the minister to state what specific measures HRDC implemented to address persistent skills shortages in critical sectors. Further, he wanted to know how HRDC monitored and evaluated the impact of its initiatives on reducing unemployment, particularly among youth and graduates.
Additionally, he wanted an update on the utilisation and impact of the Human Resources Development Fund, if it was effectively supporting skills development and challenges faced by HRDC, and how government was assisting to ensure the council fulfilled its strategic objectives.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
