Study education, nursing at your own risk, says President Ndaitwah

By Victor Angula |

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said that young people who choose to study teaching, nursing, and public administration will be themselves to blame if at the end of their student journeys they end up without jobs.

According to the head of state, the government has provided enough opportunities to study and get qualifications by having made education free from primary to secondary level, while it is partially free at tertiary level.

What the youth need to do is to choose the most difficult subjects and hard career paths if they ever will be employed in the Namibian economy.

“Don’t take the easy one because you want to pass and have that paper. Then that will not help you,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

“Because if you are taking administration, with all many people who take it, rest be assured that you are not going to be employed.

“If you are taking teaching, first see which subjects we are lacking of teachers, before you decide.

“But if you just go and take teaching because you want a paper, knowing very well that there are many teachers in the street, you are just booking your space in the street. I am sorry to say that.”

The President’s remarks came after the Ongwediva Junior Mayor, Ms Etuhole Fillemon, had given a passionate speech at the same podium calling on government to do more in creating economic opportunities for the youth.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that Namibia is entering a new chapter of economic opportunities.

She mentioned new and expanding sectors as being oil and gas, renewable energy, green hydrogen, logistics, agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing “and all value addition to our natural resources”.

“Please young people, they say that you can take a horse to the river, but you can’t force it to drink. Now I gave you opportunities to go and study, I cannot tell you what to study. Use Google [to find information and ideas], you need new skills to meet new demands [of the market].”

The head of state said this when she delivered her keynote address during the official opening of the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair last Sunday. The trade fair ends today.

In the photo: President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah addressing the gathering at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair a week ago.