NN39, October 2007
Best Practice in Education and Training: Hype or Hope?
Namibia: A Balanced Approach to TVET Training
By Ron Kukler, former advisor to Government of Namibia
KeywordsTVET, Namibia, Best practice
Summary
This article argues that Namibia is at the forefront in the region in the development of a new TVET system comprised of a qualifications framework, unit standards, curriculum and training materials.
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Namibia has embarked on several policies and initiatives for integrated and sustainable local, regional and national social and economic development. Vision 2030, National Development Plans and regional development plans provide a guide for the overall national comprehensive master plan, which encompasses the restructuring of the TVET system. Namibia is reforming its technical and vocational education system to make it more effective and accessible to disadvantaged sectors of society, which in turn will foster the development of a skilled workforce for both modern industry and contribute to growth of self employment and the informal and small and medium enterprise (SME) sectors of the economy.
Until recently the vocational training system in Namibia was not well suited to the learners utilising the system as it took for granted the time that people had to dedicate to training and also the level of schooling that learners would have prior to commencing vocational training. It was also isolated from the market needs of the private sector.
The then Minister of Education, now Prime Minister, Nahas Angula, realised that a different approach to formal vocational and technical training for modern industry and the SME sector was required, one that recognised the social, economic and political realities of both individuals and the private sector in Southern Africa. The Ministry of Education began the process of establishing the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) to remodel the vocational training structure and curriculum to ensure its relevance, efficiency and quality. For the past two years the Namibia Training Authority has led the process of improving TVET through the development of a competency-based system (CBET) that is suited to the needs of both the private sector and to individuals as it is modular in structure, provides for flexible entry and exit, allows recognition of prior learning (RPL) and recognition of current competencies (RCC) and allows training programmes of varying duration.
Whereas in most countries national agencies develop only unit standards while leaving the development of curriculum and training materials to individual institutions, in Namibia it was quickly realised that the development of curriculum, training materials and delivery guides based on the new CBET system could not be left to individual training centres as they lacked the capacity to fill that role and instructional staff lacked knowledge of the new system. The NTA found it could greatly support the vocational training centres by producing curriculum, training materials and delivery guides for instructors as there were incredibly limited resources of this kind in the (vocational training centres) VTCs. The training material that was present was out of date and written in a technical language that was not well suited to learners from disadvantaged segments of society who are likely to possess a low level of basic education, have low literacy and/or speak English as a second language. When learners were surveyed it was found that many of them undertook vocational training because they were intimidated by the formal maths and science requirements of other streams of studying. As a consequence the NTA undertook the process of developing training manuals in simple language with many pictures and diagrams that are easily accessible to all vocational learners and can actually be used a platform for distance study. The NTA?s approach also responded to learners with difficulties in math and science by embedding requisite math and science skills for a field of study within the skills training curriculum.
The NTA found that the quality of instruction in the vocational training centres could be enriched by the development of delivery guides to assist instructors in teaching with the new CBET system. The delivery guides help to compensate for instructors with limited pedagogical and technical experience which is common in developing countries such as Namibia.
Throughout the process of developing unit standards and curriculum the NTA conducts consultations with the private sector to ensure that there is no longer a gap between vocational skills training and skills required in the working world.
The Prime Minister has also led the drive for training for the development and growth of self-employment and the informal and SME sectors of the economy. Namibia?s Community Skill Development Centres (COSDECs) have been at the forefront of the technical and vocational training among the most disadvantaged segments of the population. By introducing a research based approach to curriculum development, the COSDECs have used local market assessment and tracer studies to develop training programmes that are reflective of the real market opportunities available to their learners, as well as the areas that are most compatible with the target group. The COSDECs have benefited from this information and diversified to implement training in both long and short course formats, with different skill and product focuses. To strengthen the potential for successful self-employment in formal and informal sectors, the COSDECs have also adopted a project focus in their practical skills training. As they develop technical skills, learners also learn product design and specification, production planning, costing and pricing, quality control, and marketing. With the introduction of ?incubation? or ?production? units and SME service centres in 2007, the COSDECs will be further supporting entrepreneurial development and increasing the impact of TVET on the development of the Namibian economy.
Notwithstanding the small population and limited resources Namibia is at the forefront in the region in the development of a new TVET system comprised of a qualifications framework, unit standards, curriculum and training materials. By balancing skills training for modern industry and the informal SME sector and using a unique practical approach to ensure that the TVET system is effective and accessible for both learners and the private sector the country, Namibia is an example of how education reform can contribute to economic development in Southern Africa.
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