Learning for Life, Work and the Future Initial ... - Unesco-Unevoc

Page 60 Participants’ Papers Learning for Life, Work and the Future
performed well enough to retain their jobs, and that
those who secured jobs with government departments,
councils and parastatals also performed well, with
some given positions of responsibility.
The study went on to state that Training with Production
makes Brigades graduates strong performers in
practical work. It however noted that the extent to
which practicals are undertaken in the Brigades
depends on the strength of the production wing of a
particular training institution. It was found that if
production units are strong, trainees will have an
enhanced opportunity for practical training.
The above example dispels the notion that Brigades
produce poor quality graduates. Brigades have adapted
to the current needs of the learning population even
though they continue to pride themselves in promoting
the concept of Training with Production.
The rise in entry requirement from Primary School
Leaving Certificate to Junior Certificate and above has
enabled the quality of Brigades training to improve,
with more “advanced” theory being offered. The
Brigades now use the same syllabi in all their programmes
as do former VTCs, and they take the same
examination administered by Madirelo Training and
Testing Centre (MTTC). The Brigades workshops are
well equipped with modern facilities to enable trainees
to acquaint themselves with the technology currently in
use by industry. The availability of computers in some
Brigades has enhanced the trainees’ knowledge of
information technology by exposing them to the most
recent computer applications such as Windows 98, MS
Office and others.
The majority of Brigades still offer Trade “C” and “B”
certificate level courses, but there is a positive trend
towards higher qualifications. Tswelelopele Centre,
which in the past was the only Brigade offering
training in Architectural Draughting up to National
Craft Certificate (NCC), maintained a high pass rate,
hence the government decision to add more NCC
courses in other Brigades. Under NDP 8, the government
has upgraded three Brigades to offer courses up
to NCC. Four others will be added at a later phase.
The private sector and government easily absorb the
graduates of the Architectural Draughting courses as
technicians. Some of the successful ones have
upgraded themselves through government sponsorships
to acquire diploma and degree qualifications in either
Architectural Draughting or Civil Engineering.
The cited example demonstrates the extent to which
Brigades graduates compete favourably in the job
market and therefore indicates the acceptability of their
training. The Tracer and Evaluation Study also
revealed that as far as workmanship is concerned,
Brigades graduates are just as good as any artisans in
the market. It was established that, on account of the
nature of their training, they were rated the best in
terms of work attitude.
With government support, Brigades are sending their
instructors for courses offered by the University of
Botswana and to Technicons in South Africa to study
for diplomas in their respective specialisations. About
90% of instructors are now holders of NCC qualifications
and some are improving their academic qualifications
through private study. Brigades continue to
diversify from offering mainly construction vocations
into areas such as business studies, auto engineering,
and electrical engineering.
Batswana should begin to realise that the way forward
for most of our youths is to enrol for artisan training,
and the Brigades are the most experienced institutions
in this area. The Revised National Policy on Education
(RNPE) of 1994 encourages among other things the
effective preparation of students for life, citizenship,
and the world of work, and the improvement and
maintenance of quality of the education system. It is
now evident to most parents that there are limited
vacancies in our tertiary institutions. This situation
leaves most youths with nowhere to go but to roam the
streets. Joining technical skills training should be
considered a viable option, especially since the
government is promoting such diversification in our
learning approach.
The current system allows youths who have completed
certain courses to upgrade at a later stage to acquire
diploma and degree qualifications, even after going
through Brigades training.
The way forward in the 21 st century is through learning
for life, work and the future. The southern African
region should establish a network of technical and
vocational education and training institutions to
facilitate the flow of information on educational
matters. There should be an exchange of views about
how to work towards the continuous improvement of
technical and vocational training. Trainees should
have access to higher institutions of learning, either
through full-time programmes or through distance
learning. Local institutions should allow such aspiring
trainees to use their facilities for both study and
practical training.