By Ndey Sowe
Stakeholders of the Gambia Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on Tuesday 27th July 2021, met to discuss ways for its development in the Gambia.
The development came in the wake of the 12th meeting of the TVET Committee by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, to report as well as discuss progress and challenges of implementation of projects/programs under TVET.
Significant among the discussion focused on how to align the TVET Roadmap with TVET’s policy reform.
The Gambia has adopted a roadmap for educational and training institutions to step up support for young people. The development of the TVET roadmap is part of the jobs, skills and finance program for women and youth in the Gambia, which is funded by the 11th European Development Fund. The program aims to stabilize the economic, social and security situation of the Gambia during its democratic transition and is in collaboration between the Government of the Gambia and the International Trade Center.
“We started in 2019 and every quarter, we meet and discuss issues relating to TVET. This came from the National TVET roadmap that was developed in 2019 which highlighted that we should have a body that will coordinate the affairs of TVET in the Gambia,” Yusupha Keita, the Technical Advisor and Coordinator of JSF said; that the established TVET Committee comprises 45 members from the public, international and private sectors in order to have divergent views in support of the program in the country.
“Today’s meeting looks at the national TVET policy that is already developed and its validation as the national TVET Roadmap has already been developed and validated. We want to ensure that these documents speak to each other and coordinate in implementation,” Keita said.
Fatou Janneh, head of TVET Unit at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, said the programs roadmap was developed in 2019 and the idea was to revitalize TVET better in the Gambia.
“We want to get TVET right to be able to have young people who will be able to create employment rather than seek it,” she said.
