Teveta urges tertiary colleges to embrace vocational courses

Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training Authority (Teveta) has urged vocational training institutions to partner with government in training youths vocational trade skills.

Teveta North Services Manager Joseph Chikopa made the remarks during the graduation of 53 students in vocational training at Kwithu Community Vocational Skills Development Centre in Mzimba on Tuesday.

He said skilled youths have the potential to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country by being self-reliant as well as creating job opportunities once they graduate.

Said Chikopa: “The provision of Tevet programmes as we have witnessed through Kwithu Community College is a result of partnership between Teveta and Kwithu oommunity-based organisation which has helped us to train more people.

“I am appealing to more organisations, non-governmental organisations and churches to partner with government in delivery if Tevet programmes.”

He said there was a provision for such graduates to access loans from finance-lending institutions with the authority as a guarantor.

“Teveta partnered with financial institutions that are providing loans for these graduates to acquire equipment. So, we are encouraging the youth to make use of this opportunity,” said Chikopa.

In her remarks, Kwithu CBO programmes director Wezzie Ngwimba said it was encouraging to see more girls taking up vocational courses.

“For us, it is a milestone as most of the girls that were doing bricklaying and carpentry and joinery have been already been offered jobs where they were doing their attachments. This is a testament of the quality of the training they were offered,” she said.
A representative of the inaugural cohort Kinless Simkonda, who was doing fashion and designing, thanked the organisation, saying the course would help become independent.

The 32 female and 21 male students underwent a six-month training in bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, food production and fashion and designing for free.

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