Funding available for vocational education training

Funding is available for students pursuing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) says Namibia Training Authority (NTA) manager of registration, monitoring and support Francois Strauss.

Strauss made this announcement during the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) and #BeFree information session at the #BeFree Youth Campus in Windhoek last week.

Strauss said funding is only available through registered training providers and cannot be applied for individually. The selection process is handled by the vocational centre.

NQA accreditation, assessment and audit officer Fiina Jeremia said their role is to ensure the quality and accreditation of qualifications earned by students.

Accreditation is the process of verifying the authenticity and validity of a qualification.

To check if a qualification is accredited, Jeremia advised visiting the NQA website, downloading and filling out the required form and submitting it along with copies of the institution’s documents.

“These services are free of charge,” she said.

Director of programmes and quality assurance in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture Ayesha Wentworth highlighted the importance of career guidance in helping students navigate their educational options.

She urged schools to strengthen career guidance programmes, involving life skills teachers and organising career days for pupils as early as in Grade 6.

Wentworth said the revised curriculum provides equal opportunities for all pupils by converting the old Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) certificate into Grade 10 and 11 certificates.

“This means that all pupils receive an NSSCO certificate in Grade 11, opening up the same opportunities they would have had if they graduated in Grade 12 with ordinary level subjects,” she said.

One of the attendees, Jeff Kautondokwa, who recently completed Grade 11, said he didn’t know that institutions of higher learning needed to be accredited with the NQA.

“I will check the accreditation status of the institutions I have applied to, before joining them next year,” Kautondokwa said.

One Economy Foundation programme manager Saddam Biwa emphasised the impact of unaccredited institutions on students’ education and future prospects.

He highlighted the comprehensive and holistic #BeFree Youth Campus, which provides various services to protect young people’s education and future.