National Vocational Education Workshop Opens Dialogue on Skills for Emerging Industries

National Vocational Education Workshop Opens Dialogue on Skills for Emerging Industries. Otjiwarongo is this week hosting the National Vocational Education Workshop, a two-day gathering organised by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC) through the Directorate of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The workshop, taking place from 16–17 September 2025, brings together education stakeholders to review and strengthen Namibia’s technical and pre-vocational training system.

Delivering the keynote on behalf of the Minister, TVET Director Ms. Dalia Mwiya emphasised that vocational training remains a national priority. She noted that the sector is shifting from a supply-driven to a demand-driven model, aligning training with the skills required in industries such as oil and gas, green hydrogen, agro-processing, sports, arts, and the creative economy.

Ms. Mwiya highlighted the establishment of a task force to assess the transformation of state-owned vocational training centres into TVET colleges, a reform designed to modernise training infrastructure and address skills gaps created when the Polytechnic of Namibia transitioned into a university. She further referenced the revised 2021 TVET Policy, which promotes harmonisation between pre-vocational education and vocational training, ensuring learners in secondary schools have clear pathways into technical careers.

The workshop also serves as a platform for regional directors and vocational centre managers from across all 14 regions to present updates on the status of pre-vocational and vocational programmes. These discussions highlighted both achievements and ongoing challenges, while stressing the need for collaborative approaches to expand opportunities nationwide.

Currently, 60 secondary schools in Namibia offer pre-vocational technical and home science subjects, while 18 resource schools provide the Certificate in Basic Pre-vocational Skills for learners with disabilities and learning difficulties.