Construction, equipping technical schools, and nurturing specific skills will be the main focus of the education sector in the next fiscal year.This confirms Rwandas goal to improve skills for sustainable progress, especially targeting the youth, the Minister for Finance , Amb. Claver Gatete, said while presenting the 2013/2014 Budget yesterday.Infrastructure development and equipping technical and vocational education and training institutions (TVET) was allocated Rwf13.9b, while Rwf22.5b was set aside for skills development.Other priority projects highlighted include expansion and development of Kicukiro Polytechnic Institute, which was allocated Rwf10.4b, and the One-Laptop-Per-Child programme (Rwf6.9b).“We have a gap in skills like plumbing, electricity and masonry. With this budget, we want to encourage entrepreneurship and market-oriented skills among the youth,” said Amb. Gatete.Emmanuel Habumuremyi, an advisor in the Ministry of Youth and ICT, said promoting skills growth is timely as it will equip the youth with hands-on skills to create jobs.“TVET is not about brick-making or fabrication. This new move is about impacting market-driven expertise. In the past, we relied on foreigners to fix simple computer problems. This is the trend we want to stop,” Habumuremyi said.While government has reduced university sponsorship to involve parents in their children’s education, TVET and technical schools are finding more consideration.The Workforce Development Authority, which handles the skills development docket, was allocated Rwf16.4b.Amb. Gatete said all the other programmes were considered in the Budget to ensure quality education.
