Africa-Press – Mauritius. A first batch of 75 graduates of the National Co-operative College (NCC) were awarded certificates yesterday, in the presence of the Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon, and the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, in Bois Marchand, Terre Rouge.
A total of 34 students graduated from the Mauritius Qualifications Authority Approved Diploma Programme, and 41 from certificate programmes, namely in Cooperative Management and Garment Making and Tailoring.
In his keynote address, the Vice-President congratulated the graduates for having successfully completed the programmes and commended them for their hard work and dedication.
“Consolidating professional capacity is the key element for the continuation and sustainability of the cooperative movement in the country”, he stressed.
Speaking on the cooperative sector, he underlined that its core principles should be accountability, transparency, leadership and high ethical behaviours. The cooperative business model in Mauritius has proved to be successful and sustainable, he added.
The Vice-President indicated that the sector has considerably contributed to the socio-economic development of the country over the years and has now a key role in boosting the post Covid-19 economic recovery of Mauritius.
The impact of the pandemic and its economic and social impacts have brought uncertainty to many sectors and the society, especially those at the bottom of the social ladder, he said.
However, with its continuous efforts and perseverance, the cooperative sector is thriving and is contributing to the promotion of resilience and sustainability, he stated.
For his part, Minister Bholah expressed confidence as regards the contribution of the cooperative sector in the future. Continuous learnings in Cooperative Business Management will be more beneficial to the sector and society at large, he pointed out.
The Minister also lauded the determination of the graduates for having chosen the programmes and urged them to encourage more youth to join the cooperative movement in Mauritius.
He informed that students of the Diploma cohort had the opportunity to learn the functioning and business management of cooperatives both locally and in India during study visits under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between NCC and Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management, India.
As regards the Certificate in Garment Making and Tailoring, he indicated that it was offered under the Tailoring workshop Scheme allowing women to benefit from the certificate programme as well as machineries worth Rs 150,000 and, signage and rental for six months upon registration of their cooperative society. This project, he added, aims at gearing cooperatives towards new sectors.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
