THE Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) commemorated its 21st year of existence at Arandis on February 2.
NIMT offers training in technical fields, which the executive chairperson of the Hangala Group, Leake Hangala, said provides the necessary skill pool of artisans and technicians that fuel modern economy and can propel Namibia to new heights. In 1990, Rio Tinto’s Rössing Uranium sponsored the establishment of NIMT to train artisans and technicians for the mining industry. Eckardt Mueller, who at the time was the head of vocational training in the Ministry of Education, became the first principal of NIMT, a position he still holds. Hangala, who at the time was on the board of Rössing Uranium, said he and Mueller had identified Arandis as the site for the institution, which was set up at a cost of about N$67 million. Hangala paid tribute to Mueller’s leadership over the years, and congratulated all those who contributed to the success of the institute. ‘Today’s competitive international environment of the 21st century is not kind to those who cannot compete in the marketplace of skills, ideas, goods, services and positions of influence,’ Hangala said. ‘For me, it is clear that as a small and relatively young nation, the key to Namibia’s success is the quality of our country’s human, intellectual and social base.’ He thus urged for quality and excellence in all aspects of the country’s education system, and participation from all sectors of society. ‘[Higher] education is the platform for the practice of high-level human and intellectual work and the training of future generations of professionals, scientists and technological experts,’ he said. ‘[Namibia’s] competitiveness will be enhanced by the quality of our human and intellectual capital.’ Hangala called on other private-sector players to emulate the example set by Rössing to assist in the creation of vocational, technical and other professional institutions covering different disciplines of the country’s economy. ‘We, Government and private sector, urgently need to put systems in place to enable our nation to produce a good quality and quantity of artisans and technicians,’ he stressed, acknowledging that most businesses are already collaborating with technical institutions. He further emphasised the need for improved performance at secondary schools to effect higher tertiary enrolments. But he bemoaned the fact that the capacity at Unam and Polytechnic are already stretched to the limit. ‘As a country we cannot afford to waste young talent, but at the same time, increasing class sizes to the point where lecturers are not able to form a meaningful intellectually stimulating rapport with each student, are not the answer,’ he said, proposing a separate university of science and technology that would contribute to Namibia becoming a knowledge-based economy. He thus called on the private sector to provide scholarships, internships and guest lecturers to share experience, do joint research and development projects with faculty staff. ‘[The] education of our young people is not the responsibility of only one sector,’ Hangala said.
