Community technical colleges start posting positive results
Construction of community technical colleges across the country, a brain child of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, has started to bring tangible fruits three years down from the program’s introduction.
Speaking in an interview, Deputy Principal for Kapondo Community Technical College in Mchinji, Bruce Makwirimba, said outgoing level two trainees have already created jobs for others living true to the objective of the initiative.
“The beauty with such establishments is that both JC and MSCE holders who enrolled for computing, carpentry and joinery, welding and fabrication amongst other disciplines since 2015, have already become self-reliant and productive citizens.
“Through the visionary and pragmatic leadership of President Mutharika, those who did not make it to university have indeed acquired technical skills that have enabled them to become job creators in their own right,” Makwirimba observed.
Makwirimba, therefore, disclosed that upon completion of levels one and two, apprentices acquire start-up tool kits such as brand new sewing machines to ply the trade of tailoring and fashion designing.
Makwirimba cited an example of trainees for 2017/2018 cohort comprising 62 males and 36 females who upon their successful completion at Kapondo Community Technical College have since acquired various trade tool kits as ‘starter-packs’ for their self-employed technical career.
The deputy principal, however, was quick to note that if students perform outstandingly during the first two levels, they are privileged to proceed to higher levels at conventional colleges such as Soche, Nasawa, Namitete and Lilongwe among others.
Speaking in a separate interview, Sautso Zalanje, a graduate in tailoring and fashion designing said her acquired brand new sewing machine would make a big difference in her living conditions.
Zalanje dismissed the old fashioned perception that technical skills and trades were not meant for males to dominate.
“Through the skills acquired from the college, we have proved it that not all fields are limited to one particular sex. Women can also be successful tailors and I am one living example,” she said.
Too much kupopa Pumbwa despite its agood initiative.Lembani nkhani mosaonesera u cadet wanu.
This is a very good development. Politics aside i support the technical colleges initiative and it is a way to go for malawi to develop. One of the ways china is improving its economy is through such skills.
A brain child of our taxes! Stop praising leaders! The minister of education should be doing these things at ministerial level! Its high time presidents should be commissioning Inter-City Trains, City Subways stations, Windmill/Solar energy plants, albino welfare & protection projects among major projects!
@Make Malawi Great, where will you get skills to build the Inter-City Trains, Sub-Way Stations, Solar Energy Plants etc if we don’t have good artisans from community colleges, good engineers from Polytechnic, good scientists from MUST and other supporting skills as well as professionals? Development is a product of a number of qualitative factors over and above quantitative inputs, actually the behavioral aspect is of extreme importance. As you seek higher goals and higher responsibilities, be humble, inclusive, listening and never fail to acknowledge the simplest of things. I believe these are important foundations for a development conscious society. Good… Read more »
Spot on. Thanks.