Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is widely recognised as crucial in tackling youth unemployment, and its orientation towards the world of work coupled with the acquisition of employability skills implies that it is well-placed to address issues of skills mismatch.
The Minister of Labour, Human Resource Development and Training, Mr Soodesh Satkam Callichurn, made this statement, yesterday morning, during an Award of Certificates ceremony organised for some 1,400 graduates of the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD), at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute Auditorium, in Moka.
The Chairperson of the MITD Board, Mr Harrykrishna Vydelingum, the Director of the MITD, Mr Sayadaly Maudarbocus, and other personalities were also present on the occasion.
The Minister, acknowledging the hard work, dedication and perseverance of everyone behind this challenging journey to success, underlined the opportunities and great career prospects that come with the technical and vocational qualifications acquired. Government, he observed, places the promotion of TVET high on its agenda, similar to countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands, which prioritise TVET in their educational frameworks thereby successfully sustaining low rates of youth unemployment.
The Minister underlined that the world is currently witnessing a young generation confronted with the chronic mismatch between skills and work and, the best response to youth unemployment is to ensure that they acquire the necessary skills and relevant training to enter the world of work with confidence. Together with the private sector, we are working towards having a successful TVET system in place, which is relevant to the labour market, widens access to trainees, encompasses quality-training delivery and involves participation of stakeholders, he pointed out.
Minister Callichurn also recalled the various initiatives undertaken by Government to curb the unemployment rate in Mauritius, such as the National Apprenticeship Programme; the Youth Employment Programme; the Dual Trainee Programme; the Graduate Training for Employment Scheme; the Service to Mauritius; and the Back to Work Programme.
Furthermore, the Labour Minister highlighted that his Ministry has embarked on training initiatives for the empowerment and re-skilling of unemployed persons and retrenched workers with the MITD being a prime contributor in the effective implementation of these projects. These include: The National Training and Reskilling Scheme; the National Skills Development Programme and; the Recognition of Prior Learning.
He thus encouraged the trainees to embrace a continuous learning mindset and showcase their skills in the labour market where there is a high demand for technical qualifications.
