Ex-military school turned into technical college

HUYE – A vocational and technical training college is set to open within the premises of the former military training school, Ecole des Sous-Officiers (ESO-Butare), in Huye district.It will be one of the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centres (IPRCs) which government is setting up in all parts of the country. The school is set to open in a two weeks period and is a result of collaboration between the ministries of Defence and Education. The project, which is part of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, is funded by the Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC).The school will offer courses in a wide range of technical domains, including hospitality and tourism, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, welding, domestic electric installation, electrical technology and ICT, among others.The courses will take between one and three years depending on the subject of study and students will be awarded either certificates or diplomas according to the period of their studies.When The New Times visited the site on Tuesday, people were busy working on the refurbishment of the buildings which will be used as lecture rooms as well as hostels.Machines, equipment and learning tools are already installed in some buildings. The school, whose cost could not be readily divulged by officials, will comprise of workshops, classrooms, dormitories and a dining hall.It is expected that the school, which is set to open before October 1, will initially begin with 400 students.It has a capacity to accommodate over 2,500 students, officials said.“We have the equipment and I don’t see why we will not open the school within the specified time (two weeks),” Jerome Gasana, the Director General of the Workforce Development Authority (WDA), told a news conference hosted within the schools premises on Tuesday.According to Gasana, students have started registration for the courses.He said the college is part of efforts to establish ultra-modern polytechnic centres across the country.“The target is to have at least one centre in each province,” Gasana said.The Huye IPRC follows one built in Kicukiro, Kigali and another one set to be built in Musanze, Northern Province. Others that are in the pipeline in Karongi (west) and Ngoma (east) all are set to have been completed before the end of next year.Speaking during the conference, the Army and Defence Spokesperson, Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita, noted that the school will train both military officers and civilians with an aim of promoting vocational skills.He praised the partnership between his ministry and that of education, noting that it is in line with the efforts to equip Rwandans, especially the youth, with practical skills which are crucial for the socio-economic transformation of the lives of the people. Nzabamwita said the collaboration between the two ministries was positive.“We hope to offer technical training that is not available elsewhere in the country.0” Nzabamwita said.He observed upon completion of the curriculum, the students will become entrepreneurs in their respective domains of study, different officials stated.

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Ex-military school turned into technical college