Mwanza, May 27, 2011- Government has hailed Technical and Vocational Skills Training for Orphans, Vulnerable and Affected Youths (TVST-OVAY) saying the project, which is being implemented by Technical Entrepreneurship and Vocational Education Training Authority (TEVETA), is achieving its purpose of empowering the youths to become self reliant. 

To this effect, Principal Secretary Responsible for Malawi Universities Development Programme Dr MacPhail Magwira has since called upon stakeholders in the public as well as the private sector including the donor community to collaborate closely with government in order to increase support to the TEVET sector so that it remains instrumental to the social and economic development of the country.

Lilongwe, May 11, 2011-Institutions involved in the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region should collaborate and exchange information in various specialised areas in order to enhance skills development in the region, Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) Board Chairperson, Yvonne Rampa has said.

Speaking last Friday at a farewell dinner  which marked the end of their three day visit to Malawi, Rampa said the Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) and BOTA have similar mission of  equipping the nation with various skills  hence the need to exchange information and expertise. 

“Our visit to Malawi has been an eye opener because we have learnt how our colleagues are implementing their programmes and the collaboration that exist between government and TEVETA  as well as the support that the private sector is rendering to TEVETA.  I do believe that apart from improving the implementation of our programmes such visits are going to augment our relationship,” said Rampa.

Today marks exactly five months since Julius (not his real name) 24, once a successful business young man at Kamwendo Trading Centre, was admitted at Mchinji Hospital for HIV and AIDS related illnesses.

Julius used to own one of the biggest and fast selling groceries and the trading. But his long stay on hospital bed had left his businesses un-attended to. There has been no one to properly manage the day to day running of the grocery on his behalf as all his siblings he entrusted with the task are illiterate.

Now the business has completely collapsed, grocery closed, coffers run dry as all the little money left had been channeled towards seeking his medication. Now his family has been left in dire poverty as he was the sole breadwinner.

Julius confesses on his hospital bed the genesis of his illness: “I was once a tailor before I started the grocery. I was successful and started having multiple  sexual partners and contracted the virus in the process.”

Just like Julius, many young people are faced with challenging situations that may require them to make decisions on issues of sexuality, drug and alcohol , empowerment, skills and career choices, among others.

In its quest to improve performance gaps at work place, Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocation Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) recently presented a cheque worth 3.3 Million as a reimbursement to Alliance One Malawi for participating in Company Specific Training.

Presenting the Cheque at a function which coincided with the closing of the Electronic Equipment Servicing course, Director of Technical Services Mr Wilson Makulumiza-Nkhoma said TEVETA pays back companies who take part in the Private Sector Training Programs.

“Companies work with TEVETA to conduct training, when approved the company pays all the training costs then claim 33% of the same from TEVETA,” said Makulumiza- Nkhoma.

The director of technical services said TEVETA make plans for reimbursement at the end of the year.

Receiving the cheque Training and Development Manager Dunnia Chirambo said Alliance one participate in trainings every year to improve performance of employees.

She said Alliance One is not willing to lose its human resource because of the change in technology but it can only provide training to improve those areas which need attention.

A school principle and staff members are crammed in one small dilapidated office somewhere close to a market place. Students are squeezed in a tiny room with no proper ventilation system and greeted by street vendor noise throughout their learning time in classes.

Toilets are in a poor state posing an imminent danger for an outbreak of water borne diseases. In some institutions trainers have questionable qualifications.

This is the state of most privately owned technical and vocational training institutions in the country that have sprouted in numbers to meet growing demand for tertiary education.

The institutions’ bottom line is to make quick profits whatever the means. But it is no longer business as usual for tertiary training institutions.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology through its regulatory authority, the Technical, Entrepreneurial and Technical Education and Training Authority (Teveta) closed over 50 illegal training institutions in a three month campaign between August and October.