Steenkamp urges new narrative on TVET

**Lylie Joel **

RUNDU – Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Sanet Steenkamp urged Namibians to make technical and vocational education and training (TVET) their first choice after school, saying skilled trades are vital to national development.

Steenkamp was speaking at the 11th Rundu Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) graduation ceremony in Rundu, where more than 190 trainees recently graduated.

The minister added that public attitudes had wrongly placed TVET as a second option.

“TVET has its rightful place in our education sector and should be among the first choices for our school leavers,” she said.

She added that electricians, plumbers, welders and mechanics keep communities, businesses, and the economy running. She urged institutions to challenge misconceptions across all 14 regions. “There are no stepchildren in the education sector,” she said.

She praised families for supporting graduates, saying: “No one reaches the stage alone.”

Agriculture, construction and businesses in Kavango East need skilled workers, Steenkamp said. Yet only 47% of TVET graduates found industry employment in 2024. She urged graduates to persist through rejection and use their skills to serve communities or start businesses.

Government plans to expand enrollment, develop at least four state-owned vocational training centres into TVET colleges and add courses in green hydrogen, oil and gas, value addition and artificial intelligence, Steenkamp said. She called on industry to provide jobs, apprenticeships, attachments, and mentorship.

Selected centres, she said, would offer diploma programmes, creating a pathway from certificates to diplomas and degrees. She said a qualification did not guarantee immediate employment, and industry had to help close the gap.

“Let the standard of your work be your signature. Do the job properly with pride, even when no one is watching,” she told graduates.

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa said graduates must turn their qualifications into skills and livelihoods. “Vocational technical education is the way to go,” he said, encouraging self-employment alongside job-seeking. “Life is a struggle, but it is a struggle that you can win.”

Kavango East Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka said graduates must use their skills to solve problems, innovate, and create opportunities. “Being skilled today means you have mastered a craft, a trade or a discipline that can open doors for you and for others,” he said.

Steenkamp congratulated the RVTC Class of 2026, urging graduates to uphold honesty, punctuality and quality workmanship as they contribute to Namibia’s development.

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