Vocational Training Centres Fuel Namibia’s Journey Towards Inclusive Growth

 Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) are stepping up as key players in creating jobs, driving innovation, and boosting the economy. With youth unemployment sitting at 43% and industries struggling to find skilled workers, VTCs present a practical way to connect education with the job market.

With a  focus on hands-on, competency-based training in areas like construction, agriculture, renewable energy, and manufacturing, students walk away with skills that employers are looking for right away, and are well-equipped to start their own businesses.

The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) has been at the forefront of making some essential changes since the Vocational Education and Training Act was introduced in 2008. They’ve been working hard to: Set up a training levy system to help fund VTCs in a sustainable way, roll out Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to acknowledge skills that people have picked up informally, expand facilities and offer a wider range of courses and encourage entrepreneurship and small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) development among graduates

There’s still a challenge with how vocational careers are perceived; many people don’t see them as valuable. And then there’s the issue of funding, which can limit how much VTCs can expand. Experts are really pushing for nationwide advocacy campaigns to help lift the profile of technical skills and get more young people involved.

Looking ahead, Namibia is gearing up to offer free tertiary education starting in 2026. Policymakers are emphasizing how crucial it is to balance academic and vocational pathways. If they don’t, there’s a real risk of graduating students who lack the practical skills needed to push industrial progress.

As Bank of Namibia Governor Iipumbu Shiimi put it, “Artisans trained in Technical and Vocational Education and Training are a critical part in industrialising Namibia and achieving Vision 2030.”