BY LEULSEGED WORKU
Strong and committed workforce is the key element to bring about substantial change in the existing economic system. High valued and specialized skills, innovativeness and productivity of industries as well as entrepreneurship and continued skill development are keys to tackle economic stagnancy.
The role TVETs play in promoting national economy is beyond question. Even if it is not fully exploited, they have brought tangible results in Ethiopian economy too. As the nation advances economically and the population size is growing rapidly, TVETs have become the central attention of the government towards sustaining the economic progress. Several literatures have confirmed that, TVETs have significant role in supporting the manufacturing sector and lowering unemployment rate.
Besides generating skilled manpower, creating job opportunity and supplying the economy with better technology, the role of TVETs is vital in speeding industrialization. This is particularly true in urban areas where unemployment is rampant.
Considering the role of TVETs, the government of Ethiopia has been allocating a great deal of budget all over the nation. With all gaps, these TVETs have truly minimized unemployment and have become source of inputs for manufacturing industries.
Lately, the foundation to build the East African Region Technical and Vocational Education Training Center of Excellence was laid here in the capital, Addis Ababa at the premises of General Wingate Polytechnic College.
As it was stated, the Center is one of the seven Excellence Centers that are projected to build in East Africa at a total cost of 150 million USD gained from World Bank.
Speaking on the occasion, Science and Higher Education Minister, Dr. Samuel Urkata stated that the regional technical and vocational center of excellence would be built at a budget of 14.85 million USD secured from World Bank.
The construction of the Center apart from enabling to ensure quality in various professional areas, it enhances accessibility and strengthens regional integrity. What is more, it would have crucial role to the country in terms of realizing nation’s aspiration of creating industry – university linkage and producing competitive manpower that the market demands.
Unlike the previous TVET centers that target the national interest, General Wingate Polytechnic College is designed to be Center of Excellence for the Horn of Africa. He also noted that, when the Center is finalized, it would specialize in metals, hide and skin and related fields of trainings.
Among Ministry`s priority areas that are stated in its ten years plan, producing skillful youth that are capable enough to compete in the labor market is the one. To realize this, the Ministry is working diligently, he added.
As it was indicated by Addis Ababa City Administration Deputy Mayor, Adanech Abiebie, “TVETs are instrumental in upbringing citizens with practically developed skills and knowledge that could be easily altered into tangible entrepreneurship and investments vital for development.” Mentioning its socioeconomic importance in generating skilled manpower and the experience it has accumulated through years, Adanech said that General Wingate Polytechnical College deserves more attention and promotion into university level. In this regard, the City Administration will work closely with the Center.
TVETs in Ethiopia had been once considered as the most unattractive engagements. However now, Ethiopia has taken the area as a national agenda and has given it due attention. The system will encourage strong linkage between TVET, universities as well as industries.
TVET was started to be offered in schools in Ethiopia around 1940s. In 2008, Ethiopia made a big reform in the area of TVET system that shifted from input based to demand driven one. The current TVET strategy is devoted to support the new reform and tremendous achievement is recorded in the area.
The cornerstone of the Center was laid at the premises of General Wingate Polytechnic College by Adanech Abiebie, Addis Ababa City Administration Deputy Mayor, and Samuel Urkata Science and Higher Education Minister.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JULY 2 /2021
