St. Joseph graduates look to the future

A total of forty-seven students were on Friday awarded diplomas in Civil Engineering after they successfully completed the three-year course at St. Joseph Integrated Technical College in Nyamirambo, Kigali.But women were noticeably few among the school’s pioneer graduates. Only four were female.Speaking to Education Times, Cecile Dushimimana, encouraged fellow females to embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), saying that with this form of education employment is a “sure deal”.“Girls should change their attitudes towards TVET, it’s wrong to view TVET as a last option. Far from that perception, it is a field where graduates stand more chances of finding a job because of the demand on the job market,” said Dushimimana who works with Genuine Company Ltd, a construction company.She previously held an A2 certificate, but with her diploma in Civil Engineering, she hopes to land a salary increment and a promotion. Another graduate, Venuste Niyibizi, in charge of construction at Banque Populaire du Rwanda, said the course had equipped him with more hands-on skills to handle more complex tasks when it comes to construction.“At this level, I am sure I can use my skills and knowledge to take on tasks like structural designing, which was not the case before,” he said.The Principal, Fredric Sezikeye, called on the government to support the school saying there was need for an extra hand in making the school beneficial to more youths.He said that the school needs to start other courses but they lacked adequate training equipment, adding that the school has a challenge of a fast-growing student population.“Because of our emphasis on practical skills, it is very important that we have enough equipment to ensure that we produce competent graduates,” he said.The Minister of State in charge of TVET, Albert Nsengiyumva, called on graduates to put their skills into practice so they can meaningfully contribute to the country`s development.He also urged TVET schools to focus on quality education, and pledged government support to the school.