Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente has tasked the Ministry of Education to speed up the accreditation process that will enable Technical, Vocational and Education Training institutions to issue degrees.
Ngirente said the approach will offer students highly advanced hands-on experiences through laboratories, workshop and industrial work experiences nurturing them into a more productive work force onto the labour market.
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The Prime Minister made the remarks on Sunday in Ngoma District while concluding a three- day visit in the Eastern Province.
Initially, students were awarded advanced diplomas after completing level 7 of their studies and a TVET diploma upon completion of level 6, and at several occasions, graduates expressed their desire for a bachelors and Masters degree programs.
Innocent Ntabanganyimana, who has an advanced diploma and works with Partners in Health, a non-governmental organisation, says it has been challenging to apply for certain positions that require bachelors or masters degrees from a technical or vocational institute.
"Issuing degree programs will boost competitiveness at the workplace and help provide opportunities that arise from lack of required qualifications regardless of one’s skills in his specialised sector. We have skills to do the job, but we don’t even bother applying for some positions, it limits us to opportunities.”
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Claudette Irere, the Minister of state in charge of ICT, Technical and Vocational Training said the IPRC of Kigali and Huye will next month start degree programs in Automobile technology and Construction technology.
"Next month, we will begin with two programs, one is the Automotive technology program in IPRC Kigali because when you look at the technology in the sector they are a step ahead while IPRC Huye will also start a degree program in be Construction technology given that they have provided outstanding experience and service through working on construction projects.”
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Eng. Ephrem Musonera, the Principal of IPRC Ngoma said that having degree programs will benefit the private sector because graduates with bachelor’s degrees will have the capacity to supervise at construction sites.
Besides recommendations to speed up accrediting TVET’s to issue degrees, Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente also tasked respective Ministries to link TVET schools and the private sector so that students get hands-on skills experience.
By 2024, the Government targets to enroll 60% of ordinary level students into TVETs.