Reasons and ways to improve TVET image and reputation
EVIDENCE shows that our thoughts control our decisions, which in turn shape our actions. If this statement is true, we can conclude that most learners and parents in Namibia are missing out on TVET. Numerous factors discussed below prevent children and their families to benefit from the country’s TVET framework.
Parents and children’s attitudes towards TVET
In the minds of many parents, TVET is not a good option of education for their children. With little information about the benefits of vocational education, most parents will swear on their forefathers’ graves never to allow their children to study a vocational trade. For most parents, supporting their children to study a vocation is a total failure in life.
Today, some parents in this country believe that only a cursed family will subject children to the ‘nonsense’ of TVET. Similarly, most school going children reject the notion of vocational education even when their older siblings are swimming in the sea of unemployment and abject poverty.
Lack of political will
The TVET sector remains neglected leading to its current poor public image. Despite numerous weekly boardroom meetings among TVET bureaucrats, policymakers and their key stakeholders have paid insufficient attention to the damaged image of the TVET sector.
As parents continue to express general dissatisfaction and fears about the future of their children, TVET providers countrywide are silent about how to stimulate the dented reputation of the sector.
Thus, the current boardroom lip service executives provide to the sector is a serious drawback to the socioeconomic development of the country.
Limited career information
It appears that most school going children lack information about career choices. Estimates show that eight out of 10 grade 7 learners in rural schools in Namibia believe that they can only become either teachers, nurses, taxi drivers, security guards, police officers, soldiers, petrol attendants, school secretaries or salespersons post-high school. Worst, many Grade 12 learners in rural Namibia struggle to clearly articulate their future career ambitions.
This evidence suggests that the current school guidance and counselling services are ineffective resulting in many high school children stuck in limbo, sometimes leading them to choose incorrect career paths.
Inadequate information on tuition fees
In Namibia getting good information on courses of study and admission requirements may be easy.
However, the biggest challenge is finding sources with sound information on grants and scholarships that fund TVET courses. Education is an investment in a person’s future and an excellent way for many parents and families to pass along some of their inheritance.
Thus, some parents and other members of the family may be willing to provide financial assistance to their children. Unfortunately, many such parents may not have accurate information on how much a college certificate costs. It is possible that the secrecy around costs and funding options is causing many parents to avoid TVET.
Misconceptions about university degrees
Most learners, either through peer pressure or lack of information believe that a university degree can offer them a better job upon graduation. Uninformed parents and many learners hold the myth that a university degree guarantees a high paying job compared to a TVET certificate. Sadly, both conclusions could be misleading.
The four factors above show that one, TVET suffers from a public stigma of unimaginable proportion. Moreover, the evidence shows that to date no one has attempted to dispel this deep-seated stigma. Lastly, the narrative above indicates that the Namibian public has the reason to be sceptical about TVET. It is therefore important to point out that improving the image of TVET requires urgent priority.
The question is ‘How can TVET’s bad image and reputation be changed and improved?’ First, policymakers must openly demonstrate the current and future role of TVET in driving the country’s socio-economic development agenda. Obviously, this will include investing in the notion of ‘taking TVET to the people’ through marketing. Namibians need to understand the sector and its fundamental value to the economy.
In other words, the citizenry needs to realise that TVET is the economy and vice versa. To achieve this narrative, we need to introduce the concept of ‘TVET everywhere’ to demonstrate the central value of the sector to human daily lifestyles.
However, the ‘TVET everywhere approach’ will only succeed by using a suite of marketing strategies focusing on three critical issues. One, share information with parents and learners about what makes TVET a unique sector.
Two, use marketing to demonstrate the key TVET objectives and their benefits for individuals, communities, and the national economy. Three, to achieve TVET objectives use interactive media targeted at transforming the current negative beliefs, perceptions, and behaviours of the population towards TVET.
Remember, our thoughts control our decisions, which in turn shape our actions. Likewise, if you do not market TVET no one will know and take it seriously!