Malawi Government Urges Collaboration to Enhance Technical Education and Skills
This appeal was made by Wezi Kayira, the Secretary for Labour, during the official opening of a two-day Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Pilot Review meeting held in Salima today.
Salima, Malawi - The Malawi government has called upon various stakeholders in the Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) sector to work together to ensure inclusive and responsive skills development for the socio-economic advancement of the country, writes Winston Mwale.
This appeal was made by Wezi Kayira, the Secretary for Labour, during the official opening of a two-day Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Pilot Review meeting held in Salima today.
Kayira addressed the challenges facing the equitable and accessible provision of TEVET, highlighting limited access for females and vulnerable groups, non-attractiveness, and the lack of integration into the mainstream education system and other sectors of the economy.
He emphasized that the TEVET policy has identified the promotion of RPL as a crucial intervention to address these challenges.
"RPL is globally being used as a 'Liberatory Tool' for promoting lifelong learning to marginalised, discouraged, and disadvantaged individuals who have acquired skills, knowledge, and competencies outside the formal schooling systems but cannot be recognized and certified to practice," said Kayira.
He called upon all stakeholders to join hands in making the RPL system a success, emphasizing the need for collaboration to overcome the obstacles in the TEVET sector.
Adam Traore, the ILO Programme and Operations Officer, expressed gratitude to the government for embracing RPL and assured continued support from the International Labour Organization in promoting the decent work agenda in Malawi, including skills development initiatives.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Douglas Tendai Phiri, Senior Advisor from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), expressed his satisfaction with RPL's success in helping marginalized individuals integrate into the economy.
He encouraged greater participation of females in the program while emphasizing the importance of maintaining high quality standards.
According to Joseph Chirombo, Chairperson of the Assessment and Certification Unit, RPL will be assessed in seven trades, including automobile mechanics, bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, food production, plumbing, tailoring and fashion designing, and fabrication and welding, starting from October 2023.
The meeting convened senior representatives from various organizations, including the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM), Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), TEVET Authority, ILO Tanzania and Malawi, NORAD, TEVET training providers, trade experts, and senior officers from the Ministry of Labour.
Its primary objective is to review Malawi's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Assessment system following its launch in October 2021 and successful nationwide piloting in January 2023.