Govt to assist technical college graduates access loans – Chiumia
Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Grace Chiumia says government is looking for ways to assist graduates of community technical colleges to access soft loans for starting up their own businesses so that they become self-reliant.
The minister was speaking Wednesday when she visited Mbandira Community Technical College in Nkhotakota District during inspection tour.
She said apart from providing workshop tools to graduates after their training, government will also ensure the technicians have access to loans so that they start their own projects and businesses.
“The government is trying to open ways for graduates in the technical colleges to have access to loans.
“Graduates should be able to come up with their business plans or projects they want to do and in that way, it is very easy for them to get loan in the bank.
“I urge the youth to be faithful so that they should be able to repay the loans,” she said.
Chiumia further pleaded with district councils in the country to support the graduates from technical colleges by providing opportunities such as awarding the graduates contracts. This, she said, would be a way of motivating and empowering them.
She said such gesture would also complement government efforts in fostering active participation of the youth in national development.
The minister then asked students of Mbandira Community Technical College to work hard so that they become self-reliant in future.
Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) Board Chairperson, Gilbert Chilinde said he was glad to see good infrastructure at the institution and sizable number of students attending lessons.
He called on community members and other investors in the district to establish accommodation facilities around the technical college campus to rent them out to students.
“Government has established community technical colleges and most of these do not have accommodation facilities for the students.
“The design for the construction of the colleges did not have hostels, this was to give room to people who would want to invest in giving private accommodation to students around such colleges,” he said.
The Government of Malawi has already established 12 community technical colleges across the country and so far, 686 people have graduated from these colleges since 2015.
The minister also visited Ngara (Karonga), Ezondweni (Mzimba), Nkhata Bay and Salima community technical colleges during the tour.
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Such is a manifestation of one of long awaited developments the government has ever thought of. Nonetheless, trying to convince commercial banks to offer loans to the graduates is a non-starter. If the government is indeed committed to supporting these artisan graduates with such a much needed start up loans, why don’t the government establish a rather more directly accessible fund than black mailing the students with fake hopes of start up bank loans. Please let us come up with workable solutions to the youth. Don’t forget youths form a majority of our productive citizens in the country. Therefore, unless… Read more »
good work, youths will benefit
Kicks of a dying horse.