TEVET plans to turn community colleges into business entities

Board Chairperson for Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET), Gilbert Chilinde has said the organisation plans to turn community technical colleges into business enterprises.

Speaking during the inspection of Ida Chilembwe Community Technical College in Chiradzulu by Francis Kasaila, Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Chilinde said government would add more machines in all the colleges to live up to the billing of a business entity.

“We have plans to add machines in all the colleges after we are done with the construction work in all the districts. We want the colleges to stand alone and be able to finance themselves with their own productivity,” Chilinde said.

Chilinde added that countries have developed through the skills acquired from community colleges and the products being produced with the learned skills are done in large quantities and exported to other countries.

He, therefore, said Malawi needed to emulate from such countries and adopt the system for national socio-economic development.

Chilinde observed that Ida Chilembwe Community Technical College has machines that are not found in other colleges in the country and that the youth in the district would have an edge over apprentices because of the sophisticated equipment.

He also said the college would be using computerised system where students would be getting installation instructions from their instructor through the computer and be able to implement them on the ground.

On his part, Kasaila said more youths would benefit from the college as it would enrol 160 youths from January next year, adding that the college has eight workshops for eight trades that would be offered with 20 students in each one of the courses.

Kasaila disclosed that government would by December construct community colleges across the country as the Chinese Government has pledged to construct five while government would construct three.

Director of Fidelis Building Contractor, Joseph Mandanga said some youths had a chance of doing practical work as they were on the ground for the six months of the construction of the college.

Mandanga said the youth would go in class to have the theory part and be awarded a certificate as they have already done on the job training. According to Mandanga the college has cost K444 million to be completed.

The college is expected to be officially opened on Thursday September 13 by President Professor Peter Mutharika and it will offer short courses for 120 students up to December this year.

Some of the trades to be offered at the college include bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, tailoring and fashion design, Information Communication and Technology, electrical installation, fabrication and welding and motor cycle mechanics.

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