Africa-Press – Gambia. The International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) on Friday concluded a comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) programme.
The initiative is designed to bolster the monitoring, quality assurance, and administrative capacities of TVET institutions with the broader goal of aligning educational outputs to national development and global competitiveness.
The training was conducted under the auspices of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) – Tourism and Creative Industries, a flagship programme funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by ITC. This intervention is part of ITC’s broader mandate to support inclusive and sustainable development in developing and transition economies by enhancing the export capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Held at NAQAA, the training brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Chief Executive Officer of NAQAA, the deputy permanent secretary technical at the ministry of tourism and culture, representatives from the EU and ITC, and 17 trainers drawn from YEP-EU partner institutions.
Siaka Federa, DPS technical at the ministry of tourism underscored the government’s commitment to collaboration.
“The ministry of tourism of culture remains fully committed to working with all stakeholders, MoHERST, ITC, EU and NAQAA, the private sector partners to build a vibrant TVET ecosystem that delivers real outcomes”, DPS Federa said.
Momodou Lamin Tarro, the NAQAA CEO emphasised the centrality of quality assurance in educational reform and national development. “ This training initiative was carefully crafted to strengthen the capacity of our trainers in the design, delivery and monitoring and evolution of CBT programmes: We recognised that the strength of our entire TVET system depends on the quality and capability of our trainers,” CEO noted.
CEO Tarro reaffirmed NAQAA commitments to further strengthening their collaboration with YEP and ITC. We remain ready and willing to support all training providers in delivering relevant, high-quality programmes that respond directly to The Gambia’s evolving labour market needs”.
Yusupha Keita, ITC country director, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to “aid for trade” initiatives that deliver tangible development outcomes, especially in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like The Gambia.
“We will support 2,800 young people in the tourism and creative industries on various programmes to enhance their skills, also acquire skills. We will closely work with all the these TVET centres present here today”, he said
Lumana Kamashi, rep EU reaffirmed the Union’s long-standing partnership with The Gambia, particularly in advancing youth empowerment and economic inclusion. “The Youth Empowerment Project has been instrumental in driving employment opportunities in the tourism and creative sectors.
“By building the capacity of trainers, we are not only improving the quality and relevance of training but also laying solid foundation for a more responsive and inclusive skills development frame within the tourism and creative industries,” she stated.
She urged all TVET stakeholders to continue working in close partnership with partners from the EU-YEP tourism and creative industries, MoTC and MoHREST.
strengthening the management and quality of TVET centres, we are ensuring that young people receive the best training and are prepared for the real-world market,” the representative stated.
Matarr John, participant, expressed gratitude and appreciation for the support provided by the EU through ITC in the form of training of trainers to help strengthen their operational capacity. “We extensively learnt about issues relating to quality and quality assurance and compliance with quality standards”, he remarked.
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