By Mahzouba Maya Faal
The Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Proffessor Pierre Gomez, has called on students of Insight Training Centre (ITC) to embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This was during the graduation ceremony of the centre’s three cohorts from 2019, 2020, and 2021 on the 18th of June, 2022.
In his statement, Hon. Gomez commended the Insight Training Centre (ITC) for their work towards empowering the youth of the country with skills that are relevant for national development.
The graduates consist of students in fields of Information Technology, Journalism, Construction, Banking, Plumbing, Architecture, Business Management, Human Resources, AutoCAD, Business Studies, Electrical installation, Marketing, among others. The Minister was impressed to discover that some of the graduating students are either already employed or employing other people in their businesses.
The Hon. Minister went on to share that The Government of The Gambia, through MoHERST, has since 2017, embarked on the transformation of the tertiary and higher education sector.
“This process was guided by the development of a strategic plan, 2021 – 2025, so as to actualize the government’s transformation agenda of developing the human capital stock of this country.
The mission of the strategic plan, therefore, is to establish a tertiary and higher education system of reputable (world class) institutions and centres of excellence, that will produce well-educated and skilled citizens with requisite competencies to lead fulfilled lives and compete nationally and globally. We see Insight Training Centre on that path,” said Minister Gomez.
According to him, the intention behind the Ministry’s transformation agenda is to revamp some tertiary education institutions to degree-awarding institutions, thereby, increasing equitable access and quality tertiary and higher education for all Gambians. This in turn, will address perennial issues of unemployment, poverty, illegal migration, low skilled manpower, dependency syndrome, among others.
He therefore expressed belief that those graduates of Insight Training who have the qualifications would soon be given the opportunity to pursue their careers to degree levels at this University. “And when they do, they will come out as more productive job creators for their own brothers and sisters in the sub-region,” he added.
The Higher Education minister went on to indicate the government’s plan to decentralise TVET to all regions of the country. This he explained is also anchored on the need to bring TVET to the doorsteps of all Gambians.
In his closing remarks, the Hon. Minister lauded parents for investing in their children to learn. He extended gratitude to the Ministry’s esteemed partners in the transformation of tertiary and higher education sector namely: UNESCO-KOICA, World Bank, GIZ, Euorpean Union, International Trade Centre, MRC Holland Foundation, etc.