By Fatoumata Joof
The Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, on Wednesday, 13th December, 2023 paid a courtesy call on Malick Mendy’s Tailoring Workshop in Bakau.
The purpose of his visit was to establish relations between the Ministry and the two institutions in ensuring that young people of this country are given the required skills in TVET in order to create employment for themselves and their peers.
The Minister was received and taken on a conducted tour by Mr. Alhagie Malick Mendy, the founder and Managing Director of Malick Mendy’s Tailoring Workshop, to familiarise himself with the working environment of the workshop.
During his visit, the Higher Education Minister Pierre Gomez disclosed that his ministry will introduce the skill centre to NAQAA hence they will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ministry to create an opportunity for the youths to be trained. “This place is going to be an accredited TVET Centre because you can’t get a TVET centre like this when it comes to tailoring in The Gambia. The Centre is also going to be offering certificates and diploma programmes”, he said.
Professor Gomez called on other centres to emulate the tailoring workshop, while emphasising that the new norm of TVET curriculum is to make 70% of the training practical and 30% theory.
Mr. Alhagie Malick Mendy, the founder and the proprietor of Malick Mendy’s Tailoring Workshop, revealed that he started the initiative when he was 20 years old, sewing for his classmates and teachers. But now his company provides tailoring services to government and private institutions, local and international companies.
The Minister also paid a visit to the President’s International Award (PIA) office in Bakau. He was taken on a conducted tour by chairperson of the Board of Directors of the PIA, Famara Darboe, the Executive Director of the PIA and members of the board.
The board chair informed the Minister that among other skills, the PIA offers tailoring, bakery, metal work, carpentry, electrical, auto-mechanic and shoe making.
“The institution is providing all those opportunitiess to our young people and once they acquire the skills they can go out and establish their own businesses”, he stated.
He called on the government to continue to support the activities of the PIA in empowering the youth of the country.
Minister Gomez congratulated the entire PIA team for offering various skill training courses to the youths. He promised that his ministry will provide technical support to the PIA through the ministry’s bilateral partnerships to enhance their training courses.
He further explained that the ministry’s development strategy is to invest in the programmes that are in The Gambia, as priority; rather than sending youths outside of the country for skills acquisition.
