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‘Competency-based skills key to development’

 

Skills and Technical Education Programme (Step) team leader Arthur Shears says it is important to provide youths with competency-based training for the growth and development of Malawi.

Speaking during the closing of a two-week instructors training by the European Union-funded Step in Lilongwe on Friday, Shears said the beneficiaries are now equipped with skills needed to provide training in various Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational Education and Training (Tevet) institutions.

Tevet programmes tecah skills such as these

He said: “We are pleased to see 42 more Tevet instructors complete their competency-based training and assessment today and that they are now equipped with knowledge and skills which will be imparted to others in various institutions.”

The training, which benefitted 42 new instructors and six master trainers on competency-based training and assessment, was conducted as a way of curbing unemployment rates among youths.

Teveta senior quality assurance specialist Francisco Makwinja said the training provided the instructors with both practical and theoretical training around specific competencies.

He said: “The training is very important as it combines two ways of teaching, both practical and theoretical. It has proved to be the most effective way of training and results in better learning outcomes for trainees.”

One of the instructors, Chiyembekezo Mhone, said he will use the knowledge gained to help others.

“I have been assigned to work in Chikwawa as principal for Galamukeni Community Skills Development Centre and I know I will do a good job,” he said.

The four-year programme is being implemented with technical support from Unesco.

Close to K28 billion will be used to implement Step and 28 different Tevet institutions, including four technical colleges, 10 community colleges, 10 skills development centres, three trade testing centres as well as The Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, will benefit from it.

The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development and Teveta to improve the quality and relevance of Tevet in Malawi.

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