Technical colleges to offer degrees
Malawi Government has finally nodded to a long-standing desire by the country’s public technical colleges to start offering degrees and diplomas up from just giving out trade test certificates.
Labour Minister, Henry Mussa, told The Nation exclusively on Tuesday this week that following this development, his ministry has set in motion the process of consultations with stakeholders to ensure the policy shift is implemented.
“It is true that the public technical colleges have always wished to graduate from only offering trade test certificates to the level where they are able to offer degrees and diplomas. This wish has, now, been granted,” Mussa confirmed.
He explained that the stakeholders to be engaged will include the existing universities, the industry and relevant practitioners to ensure there is no duplicity and also achieve the necessary coincidence between the skills that are being developed and what users need.
“As you know the gap between what the training institutions are churning out and what the industry requires has been one of the biggest challenges in Malawi,” said Mussa.
The minister said his ministry is also currently identifying sites throughout the country where to open or run community technical colleges in a bid to increase development of skills among the people.
“This is being done out of the realisation that Malawi cannot develop by relying on white-collar jobs alone. We need artisans and entrepreneurship,” he reckoned.
He explained that different from the conventional technical colleges of Soche, Lilongwe and Mzuzu which offer national programmes, the community colleges will be offering localised programmes.
“The courses of each community college will be tailored to the needs of the community in which it is operating. Courses at these colleges will include but not limited to tailoring, plumbing and electrical work, refrigeration work, motor vehicle repairing, carpentry and tinsmiths,” said Mussa.
He pointed out that in cases where an area already has a private community college, government will engage the proprietors to synchronise the approaches in order to prevent wastage of resources.
“We may have to explore the possibility of JV (joint venture) in such instances,” he added.
Thats nice agenda to the current minister of Labour for the implementation of Degrees in various technicals here in our country.
But there is some other things to go through such as:
»Level of education among the lectures should be verified
»Standard of the learning utensils should suit to the current development for instance in Salima compas they are still using 80’s model of vehicles whi’e Lilongwe is using latest vehicles.
Finally, you should also improve the results of being technicians who have gone through the college to see the advantages more especially salaries. Most technicians are hindered in different garages here in Malawi for instance in P.V.H.O’s, Malawi housing,Subaru motors,M. A. motors, Andrews panelbeaters these are just companies and garages that our government vehicles are repaired but the workers does not feel comfortable to their salaries,
The only companies where the technicians feel the advantages of going to college are as follows: ILLOVO, SOBO,TOYOTA MALAWI, CFAO MW, TATA MW, LIMBE LEAF and ALLIANCE ONE just afew.
My appeal to you, work hard to fight with the problem which is fenced by us technician and our country will be technologically advanced.
Furthermore to my colligues we should not stay after somebody to employ us we can also recruit of friends if we can start minor business. Everything is possible with God and confidence.
Caplot Maluwa: Campus not campas, colleagues not colligs. How do you expect to lecture at a technical college with such poor language? Don’t you have a dictionary or simply use the wiktionary!
A Wailing Soul please just post ur comment according to the story, don’t counter attack ur fellow on language issue who r u anyway? This is queens language!! at least u took ur time to read Mr Caplot Maluwa’s suggestion……..Big FOOL
Plz Minister .Consulting The University Of Malawi Wil Not Assit Bcoz They Are Full Of Jelous!Deceist From Them They Always Need To Be Superios So They Cant Assist U.Is Beter Consult Mzuni If U May Want To Achieve These Goals,thanks