The private Sector Federation (PSF) has launched a three-month awareness campaign to promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) among Rwandan youth.Hannington Namara, the PSF chief executive officer, said the campaign will comprise of a series of events, including a TVET exhibition at the Gikondo Expo Grounds scheduled for November 28 to December 3.PSF has partnered with the government, the Workforce Development Authority and Global Communities (formerly CHF International) to conduct the campaign.Namara said skills development was a pillar to national development, adding that PSF was participating in the awareness campaign “because it is the only way of developing the skills of private sector employees”.“Skills development is important because it helps youth create their own jobs,” he said during the launch at PSF headquarters in Kigali last week.During the event, the federation and the partners signed a deal to promote vocational skills.The campaign will be conducted under the slogan ‘TVET My career, My future’. On November 29, the group will host a symposium that will attract local and international experts to discuss various aspects on how to improve TVET.Namara said the expo will bring together exhibitors from various private companies and TVET institutions engaged in the different sectors, including hospitality, tourism, construction and building services, ICT, manufacturing and services, agriculture and food processing, art and craft, beauty and cosmetics, renewable energy and water management.“We are kick-starting this campaign to show everyone that the 200,000 jobs supposed to be created per year under the Second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) are achievable and that we can increase the number of the Made in Rwanda products,” said Albert Nsengiyumva, state minister in charge of TVET.
