Namibia’s higher education institutions face regulatory delays in adjusting academic programmes to changing labour market and technological requirements, according to the National Council Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT and Youth Development.
The committee said existing regulatory requirements restrict institutions from rapidly making significant curriculum changes, even when emerging industries and technologies create demand for new skills.
The findings are contained in the committee’s report following engagements with education stakeholders in July.
“Current regulatory frameworks limit rapid curriculum adjustments, even when contemporary crises or opportunities demand immediate responses. NUST noted that changing a course beyond a certain percentage requires regulatory approval that does not respect contemporary trends,” the committee said.
According to the report, the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) proposed allowing institutions between 30% and 40% curriculum flexibility to respond to emerging needs while maintaining minimum procedural and quality assurance requirements.
The committee said the regulatory constraints come amid a broader mismatch between academic programmes and the skills required by Namibia’s labour market.
According to the report, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) identified a persistent mismatch between higher education programmes and labour market requirements, which it partly attributed to weak collaboration between industry, government and higher education institutions.
The committee further found that Namibia is producing an oversupply of graduates in some fields while experiencing shortages in others.
“The oversupply of graduates in certain fields (e.g. primary education) and the undersupply in others (e.g. secondary subject specialists) demonstrates a clear disconnect between enrolment planning of institutions and the actual needs of the economy,” the committee said.
The report also raised concerns that many graduates possess theoretical knowledge but lack the practical skills, adaptability and resilience required by employers.
The committee recommended stronger collaboration between the education ministry, NCHE, the Namibia Qualifications Authority and higher education institutions to ensure curricula respond more effectively to labour market and technological changes.
According to the committee, the growing number of programmes offered across the higher education sector is also placing pressure on regulatory oversight.
The report said NUST offers more than 150 programmes and the University of Namibia (UNAM) about 400, while private higher education institutions collectively offer more than 1,000 programmes.
The committee said the number of programmes has raised concerns about the capacity of central regulatory bodies to conduct adequate due diligence and maintain quality assurance across the sector.
“There is a need to bring all regulatory bodies together for coordinated oversight. The ‘mushrooming’ of private institutions and the quality concerns around them highlight the need for harmonised regulation,” the committee said.
The report said NUST is adjusting its programmes in response to artificial intelligence, digital transformation, the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions and the green economy, including through work-integrated learning, entrepreneurship and digital skills.
The committee recommended that NUST institutionalise graduate tracer studies and publish annual employment outcome reports to provide clearer information on how graduates perform in the labour market.
It also recommended investment in artificial intelligence laboratories, innovation hubs and cybersecurity training.
The committee further called on NUST and the education ministry to explore establishing satellite campuses across Namibia’s regions to expand access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, particularly for rural youth.
