Africa-Press – Botswana. The European Union and the German Development Cooperation Agency GIZ have been commended for revitalising the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“We appreciate the support of GIZ in the implementation of the concluding SER TVET II who took the initiative to support the TVET reforms in Botswana,” said the Minister of Education and Skills Development Dr Douglas Letsholathebe.
Dr Letsholathebe was speaking at the ceremony to mark the closure of Strengthening Employment Relevant TVET II” (SER TVET II) project in Gaborone on Wednesday.
Through joint efforts, the European Union and GIZ worked on solutions to overcome challenges relating to fragmented TVET provision, quality and relevance, social recognition and multiple accountabilities of institutions which compromised efficiency in the system.
Notably, the minister said, the GIZ through the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development also helped in developing a number of TVET programmes through SER TVET I.
Dr Letsholathebe said TVET skills would forever remain a prerequisite to starting and running a successful business or enterprise.
He said the youth had been enrolled and trained at Botswana College of Engineering and Technology (BCET) and the Francistown College of Technical and Vocational Education (FCTVE) in the programmes developed such as heavy plant maintenance, welding and fabrication, fitting and machining, and millwright.
The minister said they supported Maun Senior and Moeng College to implement the new pre-vocational subjects under multiple pathways approach.He said the GIZ and the EU facilitated the achievement of TVET assessment and examination framework development which had been handed over to the Botswana Examinations Council on July 8 last year.
Moreover, he said the duo supported teachers to use the new pedagogy of Outcome Based Education (OBE) and Outcome Based Assessment (OBA) to apply a very learner-centred methodology of teaching.
During the event, a panel including Ambassador Margit Hellwig-Botte of the German Embassy and Ambassador Petra Pereyra from the European Union Delegation to Botswana as well as Business Botswana CEO Mr Norman Moleele discussed not only the cooperation but also addressed challenges in the sector.
Highlighting the necessity to ensure that employees and students were equipped with relevant skills in order to reduce unemployment and encourage lifelong learning, panellists also stressed the need to promote more private sector involvement and gender-sensitive TVET in Botswana.
As part of the event, a complimentary exhibition displayed the works of students from the various brigades and colleges supported by SER TVET II.
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