With two years remaining, there are mixed reactions over the target of enrolling 60 percent of Nine Years Basic Education graduates into TVETs by 2024 as part of by government to spur job creation. According to Paul Umukunzi, the Director General of Rwanda TVET Board, the enrollment rate is currently at 31 percent which is far from the set target. “We are assessing the challenges that are derailing the efforts to meet the target and come up with the way forward to increase enrollment in TVET by our youth,” he said in an interview. He said that poor mindset by parents and children who undermine TVET is still among major challenges that are derailing efforts to achieve the set target. “The future of the youth can now be determined by hands-on skills. Research has revealed that in the coming years, nine out of 10 jobs on the labour market will require TVET skills,” he noted. The other challenge, he said, is that teaching TVET is costly compared to conventional education. However, he said, the government is putting in more effort and funds in partnership with sponsors to ensure the cost is reduced. Umukunzi said that in order to reach the enrolment target it requires to build enough TVET classrooms that will absorb the 60 percent of Nine Years Basic Education level graduates. Government seeks a TVET school in every sector of 416 sectors across the country. According to latest figures from Rwanda TVET Board, at least 282 sectors out of 416 countrywide, currently have at least one TVET school with the ultimate goal to have one in every sector. The TVET board says that a student conducted few years back indicated that only 58 percent of TVET schools met the quality standards and according to Mukunzi, they are both building new schools and revamping existing ones so they can meet the standards. “We are gradually increasing the TVET schools and classrooms as and when the funds are available. We are also working on what could improve quality education in TVET schools. In the remaining two years to 2024, we hope step by step we will have achieved a lot,” he said. Speaking to The New Times, James Gashumba, the Vice-Chancellor of Rwanda Polytechnic said he was confident much strides are being made towards achieving the target. According to him, even in case the 60 percent is not achieved by 2024, “it will not be far from that mark.” “What we first need to do is to convince Rwandans that TVET has greater job creation opportunities than general education,” he said. ‘TVET wings’ strategy “The government has started setting up TVET wings at different schools but the students’ enrollment rate in these is still lower compared to the set target,” he said. The TVET wings are classes that the government is putting in place at all 12-year basic education schools where those done with senior three can immediately proceed with vocational training. So far, the government has built 81 TVET wings and seeks to set up at least 56 of them in secondary school premises every fiscal year across the country. At least 30 TVET centres of excellence, with one centre in each district are set to be constructed, according to the officials. “There is hope that as TVET students pay for school fees that are not higher, this will attract the big number in TVET wings,” Gashumba said. To lower the costs of school fees and improve the quality of learning in TVET schools, the government has also taken over the responsibility of buying required learning materials also known as ‘consumables’ that had reportedly burdened students and parents for a long period, officials said. School heads speak out Pie Nambajimana, the Manager of College La Lumiere de Gashonga TVET School that teaches masonry in Rusizi Sistrict said that many parents and children have not yet understood the importance of TVET due to poor mindset. Many of them still have the mindset that people can only be educated to get white collar jobs. “We receive fewer students in our TVET School compared to what we need. In order to reach 60 percent target, the attitude towards TVET should change. Tuition should also be subsidized,” he said, thanking government for the subsidies that are being rolled out. He said there are both private and public schools with TVET but the uptake is still low. “There should be campaigns targeting students before they sit for their S.3 national exams so they are tipped on opportunities in TVET to ensure they make informed choices,” he said. Alphonse Bimenyimana, the Head of VTC Ruhango in Rugango District reiterated that mindsets that link TVET education to academic failures should change, adding that even the dynamics on the labour market show that graduates in TVET schools are more likely to get jobs than those from conventional schools. “Now there are TVET schools with advanced courses and students can continue TVET up to university level and beyond. There are also vocational schools with short TVET courses from three months to a year. There are TVET schools but without launching a special campaign to boost enrollment, the government could fail on its target,” he said. Off-farm job status as per 2024 target The government has identified high priority sectors with potential for employment creation to meet 1.5 million jobs target by 2024. These include agro-processing, Horticulture, Manufacturing, value addition to minerals, construction, tourism and transport as well knowledge-based services and creative art among others. While these sectors require a labour force that are most of whom have TVET skills, enrollment of 60 percent of Nine Years Basic education graduates into TVETs is yet to be met to supply the labor market. Rwanda targets to create over 214,000 annually. However, today there is still a deficit in terms targeted number of jobs to be created. With available statistics of 2020, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda shows that the number of off farm employment increased by 6.4 percent corresponding to the net job created of 120,978 off farm jobs between 2018 and 2019.
