The Namibian government has challenged technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates to become job creators rather than job seekers by using their acquired skills to establish businesses and generate employment opportunities.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Phillipus Wido Katamelo said vocational graduates should not rely solely on formal employment but should use their technical qualifications to establish enterprises, provide services and contribute to economic development.
Speaking at the second Gobabis Vocational Training Centre (GVTC) graduation ceremony on Thursday, Katamelo, who delivered remarks on behalf of Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp, urged graduates to take advantage of available support programmes to pursue entrepreneurship.
“Be employable, and be an employer. Do not only look for a job. Create a job. Start small. Repair, build, serve. The NTA, the National Energy Fund and Youth Credit Schemes are there to support you. Understand your customers, know your costs, and use the support available to you,” he said.
Katamelo said vocational graduates had opportunities to establish businesses in areas such as construction, manufacturing, hospitality and technical services, particularly in communities where skilled services were needed.
He encouraged graduates to identify business opportunities within the Omaheke Region rather than assuming that employment and commercial opportunities were available only in larger urban centres.
“Omaheke needs you. Namibia needs you. Do not despise humble beginnings here in Gobabis,” he said.
Katamelo highlighted the Gobabis Vocational Training Centre’s school-shoe production project as an example of how practical training could be used to support local manufacturing and small business development.
“Look at the school-shoe project. Our trainees did not just learn theory. They designed, they cut, they stitched, they finished. That is what industry-relevant training means – quality, discipline, and understanding what a customer needs,” he said.
He said the project demonstrated how technical skills could be converted into income-generating activities and local enterprises.
“That is how a skill becomes a livelihood, and a livelihood becomes a local enterprise,” Katamelo said.
He further stressed that Namibia’s industrialisation ambitions depended on developing skilled artisans capable of supporting manufacturing, infrastructure development and service delivery.
“That is why Government has placed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the centre of our national development agenda. As Vision 2030 and our National Development Plans remind us: we cannot industrialise this country without artisans,” he said.
Katamelo also called on businesses to strengthen partnerships with vocational training institutions by providing workplace placements and practical experience to graduates.
He said workplace training would help graduates gain industry experience, develop professional confidence and improve their prospects of securing employment or establishing businesses.
“To our industry partners: I call on you to walk with these graduates beyond today. A well-supervised workplace placement gives a young person more than experience. It gives them confidence, responsibility, and a first reference. Let us strengthen that bridge between training and work,” he said.
Katamelo further called for equal access to vocational education, particularly for young people from disadvantaged households and rural communities.
He said access to quality training should not be determined by gender, geographical location or household income, stressing that young people across Omaheke should have opportunities to acquire practical skills.
He also warned against discrimination and exploitation of skilled artisans, particularly women entering technical trades, saying employment opportunities should be based on qualifications and competence rather than personal connections.
“Namibia cannot build a just economy if artisans are exploited, if women in trades are discriminated against, or if opportunity goes only to those with connections. In a fair Namibia, your skill, not your surname, determines your success,” he said.
The graduation ceremony also marked the 10th anniversary of the Gobabis Vocational Training Centre, which was established in 2016.
Held under the theme A Legacy of Excellence, Future of Possibilities: Skills for Employability, Innovation and Nation Building, the ceremony recognised graduates who completed their training between 2022 and June 2026.
Katamelo urged graduates to maintain professional standards and use their qualifications to establish businesses, create employment and contribute to Namibia’s economic development.
