Malawi's Minister of Labour calls for increased access to TEVET

LILONGWE, Malawi-In her opening remarks at the National TEVET Conference in Lilongwe, Minister of Labour Agnes NyaLonje called for increased access to Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET), stating that “failure to do so limits Malawi’s chances of realizing her vision dubbed MW2023”, writes Wanangwa Mtawali.

NyaLonje urged stakeholders to enhance the training of more youths in entrepreneurship as part of TEVET programs and increase financing for micro, small, and medium enterprise development.

According to TEVETA data, in 2022, out of 86,477 students who passed the Malawi School Certificate of Education, only 14,473 accessed formal TEVET.

NyaLonje emphasized that TEVET is a crucial component of human capital development and should be aligned with the broader education system.

“It is the component that interacts most strongly with the world of work, the world of industry, and the world of labour,” NyaLonje said.

“It is also increasingly viewed as a bridge to the world of entrepreneurship through self-employment and micro, small, and medium enterprise development.”

TEVETA data further shows that only 69% of approximately 12,500 students completing their TEVET programs per year found employment in 2021, with 42% finding waged employment and 26% being self-employed.

Minister NyaLonje urged experts at the National TEVET Conference to ensure that Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) has adequate and relevant qualifications to meet the demands of “our ever-changing society.”

“As we develop TEVET, we need to modernize the technologies and our approaches to the training and application of those technologies, so that we can participate in the 4th industrial revolution that is already upon us. We must digitalize or perish,” she said.

Dr. Thomas Chataghalala Munthali, Director General of the National Planning Commission of Malawi, agreed with NyaLonje, stating that the three key pillars of wealth creation in the MW2063 vision require TEVET skills.

“TEVET is, therefore, one sure way of making sure that we have artisans that can not only go into the formal sector but can also self-employ. The skills that have to be developed by the TEVET sector are very critical towards the attainment of MW2063,” said Munthali.

“This conference is very key in making sure that we advance an agenda that can take action about the kind of skills that we are envisioning and building them towards MW2063.”

Don Whayo, TEVETA Board Chairperson, highlighted the achievements of the authority in increasing access to TEVET, including enhancing evidence-based decision-making and programming and increasing the number of programs in the informal sector.

"We need to maximize the potential of TEVET, particularly by aligning the sector with the MW2063 agenda through rebranding certain programs," said Whayo.

Issues such as greening TEVET and digital skills are also becoming critical, according to Whayo.

During the two-day National TEVET Conference, participants discussed formulating recommendations for improving policies and best practices in TEVET, adopting a unified approach among development partners to identify potential areas for partnerships and collaboration, and sharing experiences to promote productivity improvements in organizations throughout Malawi.