Stakeholders commend TEVET conference for aligning skills with MW2063

LILONGWE, Malawi-Stakeholders who attended the first-ever National Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) Conference in Lilongwe have praised the initiative for kick-starting discussions on aligning vocational skills development to Malawi2063, writes Wanangwa Mtawali.

The two-day conference, organized by the Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA), brought together scores of TEVET providers, policymakers, industry experts, artisans, students, and development partners.

The Executive Director for The Samaritan Trust, Katowa Mvula, commended the platform, saying, “TEVET is important for Malawi to achieve MW2063. We have learned a lot from each other and now want to start implementing the resolutions and recommendations, especially aligning our own activities to MW2063, as organizations in the TEVET sector."

The Chairperson for the National Informal Sector Training Providers Association, Amade Alide, agreed that the conference should be sustained, saying, “Alignment should also include other areas of TEVET that were forgotten, such as agribusiness and mechanization.”

Peter Ngunga, Coordinator for Education Materials Production and Resource Center at Malawi Institute of Education (MIE), stressed the importance of alignment for producing skilled labour necessary to drive Malawi2063.

According to Ngunga, MIE will use some recommendations from the conference to improve curriculum development.

The conference also discussed the formulation of recommendations on the improvement of policies and best practices in TEVET, a unified approach among development partners in identifying potential areas for partnerships and collaboration in TEVET, and the promotion of productivity improvements in organizations in Malawi.

The Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje, presided over the conference.