By Fatoumata Joof
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (MoHERST) recently convened a stakeholders’ meeting at the Ministry to establish the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Committee. The committee is established to bring together the relevant stakeholders in the TVET field to address issues affecting TVET education in The Gambia.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical) at the Ministry, Mr. Mucktarr M.Y Darboe.
Speaking on behalf of the Honourable Minister, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr. Yusupha Touray, addressed the key challenges within The Gambia’s vocational education system. He particularly highlighted the struggle of tertiary and TVET centres to accommodate students from upper secondary schools due to insufficient technical backgrounds, leaving many of them uncertain about their career paths.
PS Touray emphasised the importance of bridging the gap between lower basic school curricula and tertiary technical centers to address the scarcity of suitable candidates for TVET training. This, he explained, was what prompted the Ministry to initiate training programmes to prepare individuals for admission into these skills centres.
A significant challenge identified by PS Touray is the lack of a strong technical foundation among TVET students, which impacts their integration into the workforce post-graduation. He stressed the need for early exposure to technical training, drawing examples from advanced nations like Germany, South Korea, and China.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration between MoHERST, EU, ECOWAS, and other stakeholders in the prioritisation of TVET, which can empower Gambian youths and expand opportunities for skills acquisition and employment.
Stressing the importance of establishing a National TVET Committee, PS Touray noted that it would provide technical assistance to MoHERST for its structural transformation. This includes expanding access to relevant, quality, and inclusive TVET, as well as rehabilitating and rebranding correctional centers and prisons to equip convicts and inmates with skills for reintegration into society. In addition, he explained that the committee would also empower agricultural centres and women gardeners to enhance food production and supply, thereby boosting youth participation in the agricultural sector.
In concluding his statement, the Permanent Secretary noted that the Committee will oversee the implementation of all planned TVET projects in The Gambia, utilising funds from the EU, World Bank, and other sources. The Committee, he continued, would also support MoHERST in managing resources, selecting and empowering candidates, and providing training to students, focusing on transitioning suitable candidates from technical senior secondary schools into tertiary and higher education TVET centres in order to address workforce integration challenges.
The Political Adviser to the Resident Representative of the President of ECOWAS in The Gambia, Mr. Claude Kondor, expressed ECOWAS’s commitment to advancing human capital development through technical and vocational education.
The Project Officer in Education Science and Technology Youth of the EU, Mr. Buba Tamba, highlighted the importance of a skilled youthful population in tackling unemployment challenges. He rejected stereotypes associating technical and vocational fields with dropouts, emphasising the need to empower youth in these areas to unleash their potential.
