Page 8 - issue 24

8 Cover Story

EU partners with Young Africa

Botswana to

‘ Make TVET Cool’

Head of Cooperation at the European Union
Delegation to Botswana and SADC, Mr Federico Berna.

oung Africa Botswana recently supply and demand for skills. Evidence find solutions which are best adapted to
held a panel discussion at the shows that skills mismatches can be their specific context. Countries which
YLady Olebile Masire Youth minimized by placing greater emphasis show higher participation in TVET are
Center under the communication on TVET.” He went on to explain usually performing better in terms of
campaign ‘Making TVET Cool’. In his how Botswana is facing a challenge economic growth and suffer from lower
keynote address, Head of Cooperation in diversifying its economy out of unemployment rates than countries
at the European Union Delegation to diamonds and fighting unemployment. which have lower participation.
Botswana and SADC Mr Federico Berna He noted that statistically over the
laid out two very important questions period of 2013-2018 the number of jobs Mr Berna pointed out how TVET
that needed reflection and these created was less than 2 000 per year is still being regarded as a second
were 1. How can TVET contribute to compared to an estimated 20 000 new choice education option despite being
addressing youth employment ? and 2. entrants to the labour force each year. economic drivers and aiding social
How can we contribute to counter the development among the youth. With a
existing prejudice against TVET? “We believe that investing in TVET is the tone of euphemism, he expressed how
best way to prepare young people for TVET still suffers from low self-esteem,
EU has partnered with Young Africa entering and participating successfully appreciation and appeal.
Botswana in the promotion of TVET. in the labour market and for improving Countries which show higher participation
Simultaneously the EU is funding a overall a country’s competitiveness,” he “This is because historically and
new 13 million euros budget support said. The Head of Cooperation went culturally it is associated with less socially in TVET are usually performing better in terms of
programme addressing TVET reforms. on to explain how EU as a case study advantaged groups and blue collar economic growth and suffer from lower
This is the EU’s flagship programme experienced an average of 50% young jobs. But there are also fundamental unemployment rates than countries which have lower
in its bi-lateral cooperation with Europeans participating in initial TVET at quality concerns. In people’s minds
the Government of Botswana. The upper secondary school level. To make TVET is associated with low academic participa tion
programme will be implemented also in a comparison, in Africa the participation performance, poor quality provision
co-operation with GIZ and the German stands at 6% on average despite the and obstructed future pathways. In
Cooperation. demographic growth and the high young most cases these concerns are justified
population. TVET systems are diverse as most TVET pathways do not lead to
Mr Berna said, “One reason for the high across Europe. The diversity of systems tertiary education, teachers are lowly
youth unemployment across the world in Europe shows that there is no one paid and under-qualified and also the
is the growing mismatch between the size fits all model and countries need to learning and curricular activities are >>10

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