TVET ready to take in passionate youth
Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions are ready to accept learners who are willing and able to venture into this sector as a preferred career choice.
Chairperson of the Association of Technical and Vocational Education Training Institutions in Namibia (ATVETIN) Regina Ambambi said this in the wake of the release of the dismal 2022 grade 11 and grade 12 examination results recently.
It showed that 80% of the candidates who sat for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (grade 11) and the Advanced Subsidiary (grade 12) levels failed to qualify for admission to tertiary education institutions.
Only 5 812 out of 38 019 fulltime grade 11 candidates scored 25 points or higher, allowing them to enter tertiary education, while only 8 133 learners qualified for Advanced Subsidiary level in 2023.
The results have led to much finger pointing and apportioning of blame on others.
She said blaming others does not help the Namibian youth, adding that the results and some of the detailed analyses paint a disappointing picture to the nation.
“However, singling out people to blame for the current circumstances will not change things. We need honesty and acceptance of the responsibility from all concerned stakeholders. We need a collective and coordinated action if we are to protect and continue to ensure the security of the future of our youth,” said Ambambi.
She said there are many exciting areas of training available within the TVET field of study.
“However, it must be noted that the TVET field is not for failures but rather a relevant and preferred career choice for passionate Namibian youth; it must be a chosen pathway to the future regardless of the crisis that stands within the education sector.”
Ambambi explained that TVET learning has many attractions, stating that it is this sector that produces the workers who turn ideas into products and services that can be sold.
She said TVET graduates worldwide earn income earlier than their counterparts in other education sub-sectors, and increased incomes into the future, adding that TVET graduates are better placed to become entrepreneurs, job creators and large benefactors into the economy of the country and continent at large.
“We all need to work our hardest to ensure that the Namibian youth enjoy deserved success, success that will motivate for greater success in chosen learning and career pathways. ATVETIN is ready and committed to work with the government and all stakeholders. Let us ensure we nurture and protect it, in order to foster growth and development through various forms of education.”
Ambambi then suggested that collective action by all concerned stakeholders needs to be prioritised. These stakeholders include the education minister, parents and caregivers, unions, and the learners themselves.
“We must remind ourselves that behind the statistics are affected people – learners that may now face uncertain future,” she said.