January 2024 Skills Development in Namibia Policy Note Jutta Franz Elizabeth Ninan Dulvy Skills Development in Namibia Policy Note Content List of Tables, Figures and Boxes Abbreviations Summary iv 1. Introduction 1 Country context 1 Pathways to employment for youth 3 2. Policy Context 7 3. The TVET System 9 3.1 Institutional Framework 9 3.2 TVET Supply and Access 11 3.3 Quality and Relevance 15 Improving the quality of TEVET delivery 15 Employment outcomes of TVET completers 16 3.4 Work-integrated Learning 17 3.5 Financing 29 4. Youth Employment Programs 25 5. Issues and Recommendations 30 Expand access to skills development and employment programs for disadvantaged youth 31 Expand WIL opportunities by getting MSEs into the picture 31 Tackle the challenge of technical teachers and trainers in a systematic way 33 Focus on digital and green skills and expand the use of ICT in skills development and youth employment promotion 34 Improve monitoring and evaluation 35 Bibliography 37 Annex 40 Annex 1: Namibia: GDP by Activity 2022 (current prices) in Percent 40 Annex 2: Occupations in High Demand 2022 to 2026 41 Annex 3: Training Providers Registered with the NTA as of October 2023 42 Annex 4: List NQA-accredited Institutions 46 Annex 5: List of COSDEC Centres 48 Annex 6: TVET Enrolment and Graduates 2015 to 2022 49 Annex 7: Students Funded Through NSFAF 2010 to 2020 50 Annex 8: : TVET Policy 2021 - Logframe 51 List of Tables, Figures and Boxes Table 1: Basic youth employment data 3 Table 2: NTA-managed public TVET institutions 12 Table 3: Employment outcomes of TVET graduates of 2015 – 2017 16 Table 4: Revenues of NTF in 2019 and 2020 20 Table 5: Revenues from income generating activities of VTCs, FY 2019/20 21 Table 6: Government Funding Training Support, FY 2019/20 22 Table 7: NTA Key Priority Funding Support, FY 2019/20 23 Table 8: VET students funded through NSFAF 2010 to 2020 24 Table 9: Overview of identied youth employment programs 26 Figure 1: Namibia population pyramid 1 Figure 2: Projected increase of youth population (15-24) in Southern Africa 2 Figure 3: Youth (15 – 24) unemployment rate in different countries 2 Figure 4: Pathways into the labour market 4 Figure 5: The National Qualications Framework 10 Figure 6: TVET enrolment and number of graduates 2015 to 2022 14 Box 1: Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre 13 Box 2: Wolvedans Desert Academy 14 Box 3: The Namibian Apprenticeship Framework 18 Box 4: The Community Skills Development Foundation 28 Abbreviations APRM African Peer Review Mechanism BEAR Better Education for Africa’s Rise (UNESCO project) BIA Business Intelligence Africa CATS Commercial Advancement Training Scheme CBET Competency-based education and training CBET Competency-Based Education and Training CLDC Community Learning Development Centre COSDEC Community Skills Development Centre COSDEF Community Skills Development Foundation CPD Continuous Professional Development EP Employment promotion ETG Employer Training Grant (of NTF) GAN Global Apprenticeship Network GDP Gross Domestic Product GIZ German Agency for International Cooperation HPP Harambee Prosperity Plan ICT Information and Communications Technology ILO International Labour Organization ISC Industry Skills Council KAYEC Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre KPG Key Priority Grant (of NTF) KYD KAYEC Youth Development program LFS Labour Force Survey MEAC Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture MGEPESW Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare MHETI Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation MIS Management Information System MITSMED Ministry of Industry, Trade and Small and Micro Enterprise Development MLIREC Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation MMC Millenium Challenge Corporation MSE Micro and Small Enterprise MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise MTC Mobile Telecommunications Company MTI Ministry of Trade and Industry NCCI National Chamber of Commerce and Industry NCHE National Council for Higher Education NDP National Development Plan NEET Not in Employment, Education or Training NEF Namibian Employers’ Federation NEP National Employment Policy NGO Non-Government Organization NIEIS Namibia Integrated Employment Information System NIMT Namibia Institute for Mining and Technology NPC National Planning Commission NQA Namibia Quali cations Authority NQF National Quali cations Framework NSA Namibia Statistics Agency NSFAF Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund NTA Namibia Training Authority ii NTF National Training Fund NTFC National Training Fund Council NUST Namibia University of Science and Technology NYC National Youth Council NYS National Youth Service OP O ce of the President OPM O ce of the Prime Minister PPP Public-Private Partnership PROVET Promoting Vocational Education and Training (GIZ project) PSET Post-School Education and Training PWD People with Disabilities RPL Recognition of Prior Learning SDP Skills Development Plan SME Small and medium enterprise SPP Social Protection Policy SSC-DF Social Security Commission-Development Fund TP Training Provider TVET Technical and Vocational Education a nd Training UNAM University of Namibia UNDP United National Development Program UNESCO United National Educational, Scienti c and Cultural Organization VET Vocational Education and Training VTC Vocational Training Centre WIL Work-integrated Learning WVTC Windhoek Vocational Training Centre iii Summary Context Namibia has experienced a remarkable economic growth over the past decades and attained Upper Middle-Income Country status in 2009. The economy is largely based on agriculture, herding, tourism and mining; and apart from large companies, it is estimated that some 34,000 micro, small and medium enterprises operate in Namibia (of which some 15,000 are formally registered) contributing approximately 12% of the GDP and providing employment and income to some 160,000 Namibians. The remarkable growth performance was accompanied by decreasing poverty, but deep inequalities continue to be prevalent in the distribution of resources, opportunities, and incomes. As other countries in the Southern African region Namibia faces enormous challenges to integrate its youth into productive employment. The youth unemployment rate in 2018 was 46.1% with considerable differences by age groups. Generally, unemployment is highest among the younger youth (70% in the age group 15-19) and drops to (still) 32.5% for those aged 30-34. 35% of all youth (around 300,000) are considered not in employment, education or training (NEET). The NEET population is particularly strong among those with no education and goes down with increasing education attainment. 18.3% of post graduate quali cations holders, and 33.3% of TVET completers were recorded as NEET. The Corona pandemic is generally perceived to have further exacerbated the youth employment challenge. Basic youth employment data NEE T, % of Age Total Labor Unemployed, Unemployment NEET , total youth group youth force number rate, in % number by age groups 15 -19 238,928 51,627 35,921 69.6 44,251 18.5 20 -24 238,148 165,154 94,081 57.0 107,589 45.2 25 -29 218,476 192,085 81,244 42.3 92,391 42.3 30 -34 181,356 167,757 54,523 32.5 61,750 34.0 Total 876,908 576,623 265,769 46,1 305,981 34.9 Source: Namibia Statistics Agency. 2019. Namibia Labor Force Survey 2018 Report. Two underlying causes stand out: The economy is not able to create a su cient number of new jobs, and there is a mismatch between the skills required in the labour market and those youth have acquired while in education and training. Enhancing the effectiveness and relevance of the skills development system as well as enabling youth to nd jobs beyond the established labour market, through employment and self- employment in the informal sector and micro and small enterprise (MSE) creation, are therefore key strategies to assist youth in their transition to work. iv The TVET System Institutional framework. TVET in Namibia is part of the overall education and training system. It is managed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI) and through the National Quali cation Framework (NQF) integrated with the country's higher education system. Compared to other countries, where skills development is fragmented with different players competing for in uence and resources, the institutional framework for skills development in Namibia appears relatively straightforward and functional. Apart from MHETI, the National Training Authority (NTA), the National Training Fund (NTF) and the National Quali cations Authority (NQA) are key institutions to regulate and drive the further development of skills development. Several institutions facilitate an institutional in uence of the world of work in different aspects of planning, quality assuring, delivery, funding, and monitoring. Employers sit prominently on the decision-making Boards of the NTA and NQA. A total of 10 Industry Skills Committees,(ISC) are supposed to play a key role in establishing training needs, writing sector skills plans and advising the public institutions in all matters related to sector- speci c skills development. Individual rms are involved in the development of unit standards and quali cations. The TVET Policy of 2021 provides a conducive framework for the further development of skills development well in line with international best practice. Access. The NTA recorded 23,412 learners enrolled at training institutions in 2022, 59% of whom are male. The NTA Strategic Plan 2019/20-2023/24 envisages an increase of enrollment to 45,000 in 2023/24, plus another 1,100 registered apprentices. TVET is offered in public Vocational Training Centres (VTC), state-owned or public vocational training providers, community-based training providers, and private providers. In 2023, a total of 64 public, parastatal and private institutions were registered with the NTA offering programs at different quali cation levels in a large variety of trades and occupational groups. The spread of institutions across the Namibian regions indicates considerable regional imbalances with relatively more institutions located in the central regions Khomas, Erongo and Otjozondjupa. Seven public VTCs target school leavers and have a total enrollment capacity of just below 4,000. VTCs are focused on technical vocational trades, complemented by selected business, service and agriculture trades. The construction of four new VTCs are planned under the current Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP II). Further state-owned or public vocational training providers are run by other ministries and public agencies or are independent, such as the Windhoek VTC. Private training providers dominate the TVET landscape in terms of number of centres and institutions involved. The two registered community-based training providers Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC) and the Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF) target vulnerable youth and marginalized populations and combine skills development with employment and self-employment promotion activities. Both institutions operate more than one campus, and their actual outreach is across country. Vulnerable populations are also targeted by the Community Learning and Development Centres under the Directorate of Adult Education in MEAC, which are currently revamped to implement the ministry's Adult Skills Development for Self- Employment Program. According to MEAC, the plan is to reach a total of 5,000 youth (60% female). The current training capacities are clearly not su cient to meet the growing demand. In 2018, the NTA recorded 35,097 applicants at TVET institutions against 10,998 new intakes, leaving more than 25,000 youth unable to join the skills development sector. Quality and relevance. Like almost everywhere in Africa, skills development in Namibia is perceived as an unattractive educational option compared to academic tertiary education. For long, a poor quality of training had been a recurring thread in TVET discussions caused by inappropriately equipped and badly under-resourced training institutions, the lack of appropriately competent and quali ed trainers, outdated curricula that are not aligned with industry needs, lack of training standards, ine cient quality assurance and generally weak management of the TVET system. The low level of foundational skills and English language pro ciency of youth coming from the general education system creates additional challenges. v However, signi cant steps towards improvement of quality and relevance have been accomplished. Apart from considerable systemic achievements like the establishment of the NTA, the introduction of the TVET levy, the development of apprenticeship training and recognition of prior learning (RPL) as well as the introduction of the Competency-based Education and Training (CBET) approach, a number of initiatives were undertaken to improve the actual training quality at the level of training institutions. This included various skills upgrading courses for trainers in public VTCs and upgrading of equipment and infrastructure. As a result, average pass rates improved from 42% in 2014 to 68% in 2019. The introduction of competency-based education and training is ongoing. Available evidence reveals a considerable relevance challenge of the TVET sector. According to an NTA tracer survey of 2020, 50.2% of all 2015 to 2017 graduates remained unemployed and another 6% were engaged in casual work just to earn money. Female graduates are more likely to be affected by unemployment. Not all graduates who are employed can use what they learned in their TVET courses. Preliminary results of a new tracer survey conducted by NTA in 2023 indicate an improvement of labour market outcomes, with unemployment rates of TVET graduates having decreased to 44%. However, this still implies that more than 4 out of 10 graduates remain unemployed despite a shortage of skilled workers in the labor market. These results are mirrored by employers' perceptions about the TVET system. In a survey conducted by Business Intelligence Africa (BIA) in 2018, employers raised concerns about the quality of skills and competencies of graduates and indicated a generally need for substantial further training after recruitment. Lack of work experience and a bias in favor of theoretical learning in TVET, lack of work attitudes and soft skills, mismatch between curricula used in TVET and labour market requirements, and poor training institutions were among the concerns. Employers also mentioned the overemphasis on high level educational quali cations and the lack of urgently needed artisan-level graduates. Work-integrated learning (WIL). WIL, especially apprenticeship training, has re-gained attention in recent years. The importance of strengthening the work-integrated TVET approach vis-à-vis institution- based learning is strongly highlighted in the new TVET Policy of 2021. There is signi cant progress in the institutionalization and implementation of a new apprenticeship system. A number of previous obstacles to the development of apprenticeships have now been addressed. The new framework facilitates apprenticeship training in 28 trades, and training follows a formal dual apprenticeship delivery approach. Participation of employers is incentivized through apprenticeship training grants. By end-March 2020, around 50 employers had been registered under the pilot framework with some 500 learners involved. Furthermore, industrial attachments are required in the institutional TVET system. The attachment is a prerequisite for any learner to register for assessment. Like in other countries, a main challenge of implementing and expanding WIL appears to be the preparedness of a su cient number of employers to participate and offer learning opportunities to youth. Financing. TVET is nanced through multiple sources. The centerpiece of public TVET funding in Namibia is the National Training Fund (NTF) implemented by the NTA and controlled by the NTA Board. The NTF collects different resources earmarked for TVET, especially government allocations and the revenue from the VET Levy, as well as donations. In March 2020, a total of 2,930 employers were registered as levy payers, and the system had collected a cumulative total of 2.2 billion N$ since inception. Levy collection has increased over the years as a result of improved management and implementation of the system. NTF funds are distributed to a wide range of services and activities related to skills development, mainly to provide nancial and technical assistance to employers, TVET providers, employees, learners and other persons or bodies to promote skills development and to fund priority TVET programs and projects. Incentivizing performance of training institutions through nancing instruments may be improved. Other important sources of skills development funding, which is not channeled through the NTA, includes the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund as well as support provided by the Social Security Commission. vi Youth Employment Programs Compared to formal TVET, the landscape of youth employment programs in Namibia is not well documented. The review identi ed 21 different programs and initiatives in Namibia to support youth employability and entrepreneurship. A majority of initiatives are active in the support of self-employment and business development, with a focus on nancial services (loan and grants) often combined with business management training. Some initiatives have a clear focus on technical skills development, mostly linked to the formal skills development sector awarding NQF-quali cations. Where skills interventions are integrated in other youth employability initiatives, they tend to be limited to entrepreneurship/business skills development to complement other core services or as more generic entrepreneurship development approach. The NTA aims to boldly integrate entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship development into the mainstream formal TVET domain. Only few youth employment initiatives speci cally target economic opportunities in the agriculture sector. Few job matching initiatives and portals exist, the most important being the Namibia Integrated Employment Information System, which had registered over 100,000 mainly youthful job searchers in 2019. From the limited information available there is a gap in comprehensive and integrated packages for youth that offer all required services on the way to employment and self-employment in a tailor-made way, ranging from technical, entrepreneurship, business development and soft/life skills development, job matching, nancial services, access to markets, to mentoring and coaching. Compared to other African countries, systematic youth-targeting incubation initiatives are in short supply. Information on results and effectiveness was not available for any of these programs. Summary Assessment and Recommendations Since the adoption of the rst VET policy in 2005, Namibia has made great strides to build the foundations of a demand-driven and accessible skills development system. Skills development is strongly enshrined in the country's development agenda and policy framework. Key institutions including the NTA and the NTF provide a solid base for further development. Substantial investment over the years have expanded the public TVET supply and improved capacities in institutions. The number of private training providers has increased steadily over the years. Of particular importance is also the successful re-introduction of apprenticeship training and the introduction of RPL. However, critical challenges in terms of relevance remain. Further interventions are required to re-orient the skills development system to the requirements of the labour market and to strengthen linkages between skills development and employment and self-employment promotion to support youth without realistic chances in the formal sector employment market to transition into gainful employment. The new TVET Policy of 2021 with its emphasis on strengthening the governance and management of the TVET system, improving technical teachers training, strengthening of the CBET system, revision of needs-based curricula and strengthening of work-based learning, among others, outlines a promising direction for the skills development system and must be implemented with dedication. Funding continues to represent a major challenge, in particular to accommodate increasing access. It will be important that government keeps its promise to maintain high funding levels from the public budget to assist the further reform and development of the system. The success of rationalization measures and e ciency increases in the management of the NTF and in the disbursement system to training providers will be critical to improve credibility and sustainability of TVET in Namibia. Based on the ndings of this review, the following recommended actions will further strengthen the currently ongoing reform process: vii Expand access to skills development and employment programs for disadvantaged youth To address the major identi ed access challenges, i.e. (a) limited skills development options in remote areas and for vulnerable youth, (b) lack of comprehensive, integrated and targeted skills development and employment promotion approaches; (c) insu cient attention to economic opportunities in agriculture, and (d) lack of coordination of existing programs, it is recommended to o Following the recommendations of the APRM review report of 2019, establish a Youth Program Coordination and Implementation Unit, in charge of consolidating the funding of youth programs across various ministries and government agencies, coordination of different activities, monitoring and evaluation of all targeted programs, and development of a platform and information support system to increase transparency in the eco-system and access to information for youth. o Initiate further public investments and incentives for private engagement in comprehensive approaches that holistically address youth employment barriers, together with sector-speci c approaches including in the ICT, agriculture/agro-business and green economy sector. Expand WIL opportunities by getting MSEs into the picture The focus in the Namibian skills sector on work-integrated learning is important and builds on a previous apprenticeship culture. Evidence worldwide shows that WIL improves the relevance of skills development and consequently the chances for employment. However, considering the challenge of providing meaningful job preparation to some 25,000 to 30,000 new labour market entrants every year, access opportunities must be considerably increased. The needed expansion of WIL cannot rely on the formal corporate sector, parastatal and public employers alone. If Namibia wants to signi cantly increase the number of youths accommodated in WIL, exploiting the training potential in MSEs may present an important option. To participate in WIL, especially in apprenticeship training, MSEs require a special assistance approach offering services of sensitization and information, mobilization, capacity building and handholding in administrative matters. A recent World Bank study on workplace-based learning in MSEs in South Africa suggested, among others, intermediaries as a promising organisational structure to systematically strengthen MSE training capacities and facilitate their participation in WIL. Against this background, it is recommended to o Conduct a baseline and feasibility study related to WIL in MSEs in Namibia and to develop and implement strategies to incentivize and support MSE participation in WIL. Tackle the challenge of technical teachers and trainers in a systematic way Namibia, struggling with skills and quali cation de cits of its instructor staff in the skills development system, has devised in its new TVET Policy an important intervention package aiming at systematization and institutionalization of technical teachers training and further training. However, the increase in numbers of quali ed teachers needs to remain another focus. The system will inevitably require more teaching staff in order to accommodate the intended enrollment expansion. Especially in more sophisticated and high-demand occupational elds it will be di cult for the TVET system to attract quali ed technicians. The challenge of securing su cient, competent and quali ed technical teachers and trainers must be seen in a comprehensive context of human resource development for skills development. It is therefore recommended to o Consider formulating a more comprehensive strategy for human resource development for skills viii development, which would, among others, be based on a thorough baseline and needs assessment covering both quantitative as well as qualitative aspects of future needs for technical teachers/trainers; include the needs of TVET administration, system and centre management; consider the needs of technical teaching staff in the private training sector; identify the role of technology in improving the quality and enhancing the e ciency of technical teachers/trainers' management and training (including road map for implementation); develop a CPD system for technical teaching staff (including road map for implementation); and address identi ed challenges in working conditions, terms of employment and career prospects in order to make technical teaching an attractive professional option in Namibia. Focus on digital and green skills and expand the use of ICT in skills development and youth employment promotion As Namibia intends to close up economically to the industrialized world by 2030 a strong focus on digital skills and green skills development appears paramount. Transforming the skills space at all levels towards digital skills requires dedicated investments in new programs for jobs in the ICT market, overhaul of curricula to address emerging digital development in conventional professions and interventions to increase the digital literacy for all. The latter particularly applies to vulnerable youth in the labour market who need to be capacitated for technology-based communication, production and processes in the job market. To develop the green economy capitalizing on Namibia's uniquely abundant sunlight, wind, seawater and marine resources requires a focused and dedicated effort to develop the necessary green skills among the Namibian workforce. It is recommended to o Develop a digital skills strategy which includes a road map for the strengthening of digital literacy, specialized digital skills, as well as for skills for ICT professions. o Conduct a green skill needs and supply assessment eventually feeding into the formulation of a road map for green skills development to assist the country's climate change and energy transition agenda. o Implement the National TVET e-Learning Policy to reinforce technology-enabled teaching and learning. Improve monitoring and evaluation To address the critical data shortages, it is recommended to o Prioritize investments into further MIS building in the skills and youth employment promotion space, with a view to integrate, or at least initially articulate data on different sub-systems. o Develop a technology-based graduate tracking system (using email, SME/mobile data collection) with a view to institutionalize a regularly implemented system of tracer studies and impact assessments. ix 1. Introduction This note was prepared by a World Bank team in 2022 with the aim to inform the Bank's policy dialogue with the Government of Namibia in the elds of skills development and youth employment. It was largely prepared as a desk study and focusses on the country's skills development system and its eco-system of supporting education/training to work transition of young Namibians. Both policy elds attract high attention in the public debate and policy framework of the country. Country context Namibia has experienced a remarkable economic growth over the past decades and attained Upper Middle-Income Country status in 2009. With a population of around 2.4 million people living on an area of over 800,000 km² Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. The economy is largely based on agriculture, herding, tourism and mining (gem diamonds, uranium, gold, silver and base metals). The service sector contributes 58.3% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by agriculture and mining (18.5%) and manufacturing, electricity/water and construction (16.2%).1 Apart from large companies, it is estimated that some 34,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) operate in Namibia (of which some 15,000 are formally registered) contributing approximately 12% of the GDP and providing employment and income to some 160,000 Namibians, around one-third of the country's workforce. MSMEs contribute over-proportionately to job growth and operate across all sectors in the economy, dominated by retail trade, food processing and other manufacturing.2 Figure 1: Namibia population pyramid +100 94-90 84-80 74-70 64-60 54-50 40-44 30-34 20-24 Females 10-14 0-4 Males 200 150 100 50 0 50 100 150 200 Thousands Source: World Bank. 2020. Policy Brief While poverty decreased, Namibia ranks as one of the world's most unequal countries. The remarkable growth performance was accompanied by decreasing poverty. The share of the population living below the poverty line dropped from 37.5% in 2003 to 17.4% in 2015. The growth and development success, however, masks deep inequalities in the distribution of resources, opportunities, and incomes. Poverty is particularly high among the San, Ovatue and Ovatshimba and other marginalised communities. In 2014, 1 Namibia Statistics Agency. Annual National Accounts 2021. See also Annex 1 2 www.msme nanceafrica.eu 1 the unemployment rate among the San population was 77% (MEPESW 2021). The Gini index in 2015 was 59.1, second only to South Africa in the ranking of the most unequal countries (World Bank 2021). Disparities in access to economic opportunities and services within the country are large and widening, with sparsely populated areas left behind. On the Human Development Index, Namibia only ranks 139 of 189 countries (UNDP 2022). It remains well behind other upper middle-income countries in indicators of health, education, demographics, and access to basic services (World Bank 2021). The country is characterized by a very youthful population with 72% of the population below the age of 34 (Figure 1). Half of these represent youth aged 15 to 34 (o cial de nition of youth), totaling about 877,000 according to the labour force survey of 2019. Namibia has one of the fastest growing young populations in the region expected to increase by 22% until 2050 (Figure 2). Figure 2: Projected increase of youth population (0-24) in Southern Africa The 0-24 population in Namibia is expected to increase by approx. 22% by 2050 Namibia 1500K Botswana Lesotho Population 1000K Eswatini 500K 0K 2022 (UN Projections) 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 Namibia has a severe youth unemployment challenge. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 young people enter the labour market every year (MHETI 2021). As other countries in the Southern African region Namibia faces enormous challenges to integrate its youth into productive employment (Figure 3). The youth unemployment rate in 2018 was 46.1% with considerable differences by age groups. Generally, unemployment is highest among the younger youth (70% in the age group 15-19) and drops to (still) 32.5% for those aged 30-34 (Table 1). Figure 3: Youth (15-24) unemployment rate in different countries 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Source: ILO, quoted in World Bank 2020 Policy Brief 2 The number of youths who need to be integrated into the labour market rises to more than 300,000, if those who have given up looking for jobs are included. The most recent Labour Force Survey shows that 35% of all youth are considered not in employment, education or training (NEET), most of whom (two- thirds) are in their twenties. The NEET population is particularly strong among those with no education (61.1%) and goes down with increasing education attainment. Of all primary education holder, 54.1% are not in employment, education or training, but only 18.3% of post graduate quali cations holders. Among TVET completers, 33.3%, or 58,500 in total, were recorded as NEET (NSA 2019). Table 1: Basic youth employment data NEE T, % of Age Total Labor Unemployed, Unemployment NEET , total youth group youth force number rate, in % number by age groups 15 -19 238,928 51,627 35,921 69.6 44,251 18.5 20 -24 238,148 165,154 94,081 57.0 107,589 45.2 25 -29 218,476 192,085 81,244 42.3 92,391 42.3 30 -34 181,356 167,757 54,523 32.5 61,750 34.0 Total 876,908 576,623 265,769 46,1 305,981 34.9 Source: Namibia Statistics Agency. 2019. Namibia Labor Force Survey 2018 Report. The Corona pandemic is generally expected to have further exacerbated the youth employment challenge. The bold action of the Namibian government to limit the spread of the virus came with further job losses, especially among the younger population who are more likely to be involved in informal sector employment (World Bank 2020). With a view to addressing the youth employment challenges two underlying causes stand out: The economy is not able to create a su cient number of new jobs, and there is a mismatch between the skills required in the labour market and those youth have acquired while in education and training. Enhancing the effectiveness and relevance of the skills development system as well as enabling youth to nd jobs beyond the established labour market, through employment and self-employment in the informal sector and micro and small enterprise (MSE) creation, are therefore key strategies to assist youth in their transition to work. This note, therefore, assesses the state of the skills development and the wider youth employment project landscape with a view to discuss options for strengthening skills and jobs interventions in Namibia. Pathways to employment for youth There are different pathways to employment for young labour market entrants. Which ones are appropriate in a concrete individual case depend on various factors including educational background and other characteristics of the young people, the demand structure in the job market, and the availability and nature of business opportunities, among others. 3 1. Entering the labour market directly from school: Youth coming out of the general education system can directly enter the job market without any further education or job preparation. Even if jobs are plenty and easy to nd, this track tends to lead to low-paid jobs without signi cant and structured career progression prospects, or to simple work and self-employment arrangements in the informal sector and agricultural labour market. As labour markets in most African countries are characterized by signi cant labour surplus, this option has increasingly led youth into unemployment. Also in Namibia, as shown before, the likelihood to stay out of the labour market is higher for those with no further education. Figure 4: Pathways into the labour market School leavers School drop-outs Formal Post-School Education Employment Promotion and Training TVET Non-formal Skilling Programs (public and private VTCs, Intermediation services formal apprenticeship training) (job matching, Self-employment promotion pathway development, etc.) (entrepreneurship skills, nancial and non-nancial business development Higher Education services; comprehensive interventions) Internships Job Market Wage employment in formal and informal Self-employment (groups or individual) Farming enterprises 2. Post-school education and training: Good jobs which are well-paid, permanent and leading to progression usually require further post-school education and training (PSET) quali cations acquired either through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) or higher education. The term TVET here denotes formal skills development provided as part of the formal education system, usually long-term and leading to formal educational quali cations, which are recognised on the national quali cations framework. TVET in Namibia is provided both in the public and private training sector and also includes formal apprenticeship training.3 PSET represents a key interface between labour supply and skills requirements in the labour market geared to facilitate the development of an appropriately skilled and quali ed workforce for economic and social development. Modern PSET systems, therefore, include institutions and measures to involve representatives of the labour market (mainly employers) in planning and decision-making processes and to link educational programs to established skills needs in the labour market. Labour market outcomes of TVET are measured in graduate employment rates. In Namibia, as further discussed in section 3.3, around half of the TVET graduates stay unemployed. 3. Employment promotion programs: Parallel to the formal PSET system a much more heterogeneous ecosystem of employment promotion (EP) programs (active labour market programs) has developed in recent years. Its increased importance is directly related to the growing youth unemployment challenge in most countries. The core objective of the various programs and interventions is enhancing the employability of youth and supporting them to enter into gainful employment. Programs range from skills4 training courses, often but not always short-term, internship facilitation 3 The TVET system is further described and reviewed in section 3 of this report. 4 Skills is understood here in a wider sense, including apart from technical professional skills also the so-called soft skills, life skills and employability skills. 4 to increase employability and work experience, to different interventions to support self- employment and micro-enterprise development and comprehensive support packages to develop pathways, which look more holistically at the different challenges unemployed youth encounter on their way into the labour market. Target groups vary by program and include school leavers without access to PSET, school-dropouts with different levels of educational attainment, as well as graduates from the PSET system who remain unemployment after leaving TVET and higher education institutions. The success of EP programs depends on different factors: the extent to which programs are tailored to their speci c target groups and established linkages with the labour market, achieved through work-integrated learning arrangements or involvement of workplace practitioners in program implementation. Various public and private institutions may be involved in the nancing and implementation of such programs, ranging from ministries (education, labour, trade and industry, agriculture) to development NGOs, development partners and community-based organisations. An overview of the programs in Namibia is included in section 4. 4. Intermediation services: Labour market intermediaries may complement the landscape of services available to youth when seeking entrance into productive employment comprising job matching and job information systems, career guidance and counselling services or digital platforms that broker jobs in the new gig economy. The different pathways and their support structures are not necessarily alternative, but in practice often complementary. For example, formal PSET graduates often stay unemployed despite of completion of formal further education, and then re-route to employment promotion programs to increase their employability through extra skills or business development support. Intermediation services embrace the pathway eco-system informing youth about options and guiding them onto the right track, as well as brokering jobs. Nevertheless, the three key blocks of pathway support (PSET, Employment Promotion and Intermediation services), while sharing common goals, are structurally different in terms of the labour markets they serve, in the degree of institutionalization and the way they are funded, and in the monitoring framework under which they operate: 1. Different target labour market segments: While PSET is usually required to enter formal sector jobs, at least at higher ends, EP is often associated with lower-end jobs, often in the informal sector. They are exceptions though, for example if higher education graduates use employment promotions services, for example tech hubs, to support their pathway into entrepreneurship in the digital economy. 2. Institutionalization: A major distinction between the different pathway support options relates to their institutionalization. As part of the education system, PSET represents a key general public service (despite of being offered by private providers in times) governed by law and regulated by government; and implemented irrespective of whether or not special interventions are needed to cope with youth unemployment challenges. EP, on the other hand, is often ad hoc in nature and little regulated, responding to immediate needs and challenges in the job market. The range of potential providers and funding sources is usually broader and less restricted than in PSET and offers can be con ned to speci c target groups or regions. 3. Results measurement: Monitoring frameworks differ considerably. Performance of employment programs is clearly measured in terms of employment outcomes, usually youth employment rates. PSET on the other hand is guided by dual, or even multiple, objectives referring to improvements in both demand and supply side performance in the labour market. Measuring success of PSET does look at graduate employment rates, but also at progression in the education system as well as demand-side factors such as employer satisfaction or productivity increases. 5 While it is important for analytical purposes to distinguish between PSET and employment promotion, differences are not always clearcut and boundaries permeable. Both streams increasingly incorporate elements of the other. Modern formal PSET curricula incorporate employment promotion instruments such as soft and life-skills training and entrepreneurial skills. On the other hand, EP, if related to skills development, often operates within the formal quali cation system to allow youth earning educational credits. Modern quali cation frameworks have eased the formal recognition of non-formally acquired skills and competencies. In times, PSET and EP is also under one roof and ownership, for example if incubation centres are hosted at TVET Colleges or Universities, or short-term skilling courses offered as extra-curricular activities at formal PSET institutions. 6 2. Policy Context Skills and jobs for youth, and the reform and transformation of the TVET system play a key role as an engine for growth and competitiveness in Namibia's development framework. Vision 2030, formulated in 2004 and still representing the country's overarching framework for socio-economic development, sees Namibia as a high-income country that can “afford all its citizens a quality of life that is comparable to that of the developed world” by 2030. To achieve this ambitious goal, the Vision outlined major institutional directions for TVET, which until today represent the cornerstones of the modern TVET system: the establishment of the autonomous National Training Authority (NTA), strong linkages to industry as well as a nancing system based on a training levy (OP 2004). Most other strategic development documents, including the subsequent Harambee Prosperity Plans or National Development Plans, as well as economic and social sector policies (Industrialization Policy, Social Protection Policy, MSE Policy, National Employment Policy, among others) continue to have a strong focus on skills development with partly rather concrete targets for the TVET sector. The Fifth National Development Plan (NDP 5), for example, sets concrete targets for TVET enrolment and upskilling of technical teachers and trainers (50,000 and 3,000 respectively by 2022). The Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) II envisages the construction of new VTCs and the further institutionalization of the apprenticeship system. It is noteworthy, that public private partnerships and strong involvement of the world of work in education and training is highlighted throughout relevant policies. The country's Industrial Policy, for example, highlights the huge importance of skills development for industrial development. It particularly requests partnerships between the worlds of education, training and work, involvement of social partners in skills development planning, stakeholder involvement and the promotion apprenticeship training and internships (MTI 2015). Skills development is also recognised as an important vehicle to promote the development of micro and small enterprises. Already in its National Human Resource Plan 2010-2025, prepared in 2012, the National Planning Commission (NPC) highlights the need to build technical, managerial and technological know-how and skills to start MSME activities in those sectors where there is a clear potential and to develop a position in different value chains (NPC 2012). The National Policy on MSE (MITSMED 2016) puts a strong emphasis on the need to advance entrepreneurship education throughout the formal education and TVET system. Not surprisingly, skills development and youth employment promotion also feature prominently in the national discussion on youth support. The National Youth Policy III (2020-2030) addresses the skills challenge in two of its ve strategies. In its rst pillar (Youth Education and Skills Development) the Policy envisages (1) an increase of the intake capacity at both HEIs and TVET institutions, (2) increased education chances for marginalized, vulnerable youth and youths with disabilities; (3) accelerated implementation of the recommendations of the skills audit by the Ministry of Labour; as well as (4) the reinforcement of ICT platforms to facilitate opportunities for skills development. In the framework of Pillar 3 (Youth Employment and Economic Empowerment), it requests to operationalize the National Youth Development Fund, to operationalize UN Youth Programmes, to improve the availability of 7 information on Namibian youth-owned enterprises for young people, and to advocate for apprenticeship and internship opportunities and cooperative establishment of young people. The recent Social Protection Policy, developed in 2021 by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW), puts strong emphasis on strengthening youth-owned enterprises (through expansion of youth enterprise funding schemes and support to public procurements), requests support for quality TVET and nancial support to vulnerable youth for participation in TVET, apprenticeships and internships and other skills development initiatives funded by the National Training Fund (NTF) as well as strengthening the National Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS) to better serve youths seeking jobs. The policy framework outlining government's plans for the further development of the skills development sector has recently been updated and concretized with the TVET Policy adopted in 2021 (NTA 2021). The policy, which is closely embedded in the strategic planning of the parent Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI) aims at addressing the following identi ed main challenges: Ÿ Weaknesses in the governance structure: Duplication and overlap of functions, especially regulatory functions affecting e ciency and effectiveness in the TVET system; Ÿ Insu cient standards for training delivery and insu cient links with the education sector; Ÿ Access challenges: caused by insu cient funding and inequalities in funding between public and private providers; Ÿ Relevance challenges: graduates' skills often do not meet the needs in industry; Ÿ Quality challenges: expressed in low pass rates; Ÿ Human resources: inadequately trained TVET trainers; Ÿ Reputational issues: negative perception about TVET careers in the society; Ÿ Lack of articulation with the entire education and training sector. The policy response is clustered in ve policy objectives: (I) To Improve Governance and Management of the TVET Sector; (II) To Enhance Quality and Relevance of TVET Programmes (incl. teachers training, enhancement of training institutions, curricula update, quality assurance improvements and enhancement of work-integrated learning); (III) To Increase Access and Equity in TVET Programmes (catering for marginalised groups, e-learning); (IV) To Promote Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in TVET; and (V) To Diversify Sources of Funding and Equitable Financing of TVET Programmes. Bold investments to build and equip more public TVET institutions had already started under the TVET Transformation and Expansion Strategy developed by NTA in 2016; these plans are still being pursued. 8 3. The TVET System TVET in Namibia is part of the overall education and training system. It is managed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation and through the National Quali cation Framework at least conceptually integrated with the country's higher education system. 3.1.Institutional Framework Compared to some other countries, where skills development is fragmented with different players competing for in uence and resources, the institutional framework for skills development in Namibia appears relatively straightforward and functional. With the creation of the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation in 2015, the responsibility for skills development was removed from the Ministry of Education and given to a newly formed ministry with a clear focus on skills giving more weight to the national skills development agenda at different levels and aligning post-basic education with the national development framework. MHETI is in charge of policy development, leads the national discussion on skills and oversees the relevant agencies and institutions involved in the implementation of skills development and higher education. The National Training Authority (NTA) established in 2008 as a statutory body through the VET Act is the national focal skills development institution with a wide range of responsibilities in advising the Ministers, in regulation, funding, quality assurance and monitoring of skills development as well as the management of the public VTC network. The NTA is governed by a Board, which is dominated by representatives of the labour market: ve members represent employers, two members trade unions, three members are from the government and one member is from the National Quali cations Authority. The Board is assisted in its work by Committees and Councils, including the Human Resource Committee, a National Training Fund Council and a Standards, Assessment & Certi cation Council. The NTA, through its National Training Fund Department, is also in charge of managing the National Training Fund (NTF), which represents the central funding pool for TVET and is sourced by mainly government allocation and the National Training Levy. The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) under MHETI is another important institution and instrument for post-school education and training funding, offering loans and grants to students from the higher education and TVET sector. 5 The National Quali cations Authority (NQA) was established in 1996 on the basis of the National Quali cations Authority Act as the oversight body of quali cations and certi cations in Namibia in the education and training sector. It is the owner of the National Quali cations Framework (NQF), which was approved in 2005 by the NQA Council, and in charge of all functions related to the implementation of the framework, including standard setting, curriculum development, and the accreditation and registration of quali cations and institutions. The NQF captures TVET and higher education quali cations within 10 Levels, covering certi cates, diplomas and degrees up to doctoral degrees (Figure 5). There are considerable overlaps between the functions of the NQA and the NTA with respect to the regulation and 5 The funding system is further outlined in section 3.5. 9 quality assurance of TVET, which are supposed to be settled under the new TVET Policy of 2021. The NQA is governed by a 36-member NQA Council comprising representatives of different relevant ministries, representatives of employers and employees, private economic sector groups and professional associations. Figure 5: The National Qualications Framework The Framework 10 Doctoral Degree NQF Levels 9 Masters Degree 8 Bachelor Honours Professional Bachelor DIPLOMAS 7 Bachelor Degree 6 CERTIFICATES 5 4 3 Unit 2 Standards 1 Source: National Quali cations Authority; www.namqa.org Several institutions facilitate an institutional in uence of employers in the skills development system. Whereas the need to enhance the in uence of employers in the skills development system is still a key issue in policy papers and public TVET debates, Namibia does have institutions in place to ensure that representatives of the labour market are involved in different aspects of planning, quality assuring, delivery, funding, and monitoring of skills development. As outlined before, employers, through their representative institutions including the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and the National Employers Federation (NEF), sit prominently on the decision-making Boards of the NTA and NQA. Ten Industry Skills Committees (ISC) facilitated by the NTA are supposed to play a key role in establishing training needs, writing sector skills plans, facilitating the development and approval of standards, quali cations and training materials, creating opportunities for job attachments and apprenticeships in their sectors and advising the public institutions in all matters related to sector- speci c skills development. ISCs have up to 10 members with extensive industry expertise. At least one 6 member should be an owner or manager of an SME, and one member should represent trade unions. ISCs are also expected to facilitate annual stakeholder fora where they report to the broader industry about TVET-related developments and collect inputs from industry to informal their plans (NTA 2021). Individual rms are involved in the development of unit standards and quali cations. A number of other institutional stakeholders are involved in skills development with dedicated roles, including the O ce of the Prime Minister (OPM), which is the custodian of Human Resources Management Policies determining conditions of service and salaries of public servants including technical teachers and trainers, and the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation (MLIREC), which provides labour market services and psychometric assessments of potential trainees, and runs the 6 ISCs are available for the following sectors: (1) transport, warehousing & logistics; (2) wholesale & retail trades; (3) post & telecommunication; (4) manufacturing, automotive sales, arts and crafts; (5) mining & quarrying, construction, electricity, gas, water supply & sanitation; (6) hospitality & tourism; (7) sheries and maritime; (8) nancial and business services; (9) agriculture & forestry; (10) health care and social services. See https://www.nta.com.na/governance/industry-skills-committees-members/ 10 Namibia Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS) to support the job search of TVET graduates. Other sector ministries and parastatal organisations run own skills development institutions, for example the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MEAC), which maintains a network of Community Learning and Development Centres (CLDC), or the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources running the Namibia Marine and Fisheries Institute. Civil society and NGO training providers complement the stakeholder group. 3.2. TVET Supply and Access Information about TVET supply and access to TVET in Namibia is somehow sketchy. Available data are scattered among various institutions, including the NTA and the NQA, and appear incomplete especially with respect to enrolment. To strengthen the management information system (MIS) for TVET is of paramount importance and one of the strategies included in the 2021 TVET Policy. Different groups of TVET providers are commonly distinguished in Namibia, namely: a) Public Vocational Training Centres (VTC) b) State-owned or public vocational training providers c) Community-based training providers d) Private providers In September 2023, a total of 68 public and private institutions were accredited with the NQA (Annex 4) offering programs at different quali cation levels in a large variety of trades and occupational groups. Some of these institutions, such as the Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF) or the Namibia Institute for Mining and Technology (NIMT) comprise more than one campus, so that the number of actual education and training centres is even larger. The NTA, on the other hand, had registered 64 7 training providers in October 2023 (NTA 2023c). The lists are partly overlapping, but a number of institutions are only on one list, so that the actual number training providers offering TVET remains uncertain. Total enrolment capacity of NTA-registered institutions in 2023, excluding public VTCs, was around 7,800. Registered institutions are spread around the country, but more than half of the institutions are concentrated in the central regions of Khomas (Windhoek), Erongo and Otjozondjupa (Annex 3). Public VTCs are formally owned by the MHETI but managed by the NTA. There are currently seven VTCs with a total enrollment capacity of just below 4,000 in 2019/20. Most of these VTCs are large campuses 8 with a considerable range of formal TVET courses offered and more than 500 trainees enrolled. Enrollment data by trades are not available, but from the range of courses offered it appears that the VTC are clearly focused on technical vocational trades, complemented by selected business, service and agriculture trades (see Table 2). The construction of new VTCs in Khorixas, Nkurenkuru, Keetmanshoop and Omuthiya are planned under HPP II. In addition to public VTCs, there are other state-owned or public vocational training providers, registered with the NTA. These are run by parastatals, other sector ministries and public agencies, and include institutions such as the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute, Army Technical Training Centre, Namibia College of Open Learning or the NamPower Training Centre. The institutions are managed 7 www.namqa.org. The two public Universities, the University of Namibia (UNAM) and Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), are not included in this list as they are authorized through own legislation. 8 Information was taken from the NTA webpage in early 2023. More recent information on capacities was not available, but presumably the capacity has increased. 11 by their parent institutions and may enjoy far-reaching operational autonomy. Also the agship vocational training centre Windhoek VTC (WVTC) is a public training centres, which is not managed by NTA as public VTC anymore. There are two registered community-based training providers run as non-pro t trusts: The Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC) as well as the Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF).9 Both are targeting vulnerable youth and marginalized populations and combine skills development with employment and self-employment promotion activities. Both institutions operate more than one campus, and their actual outreach is across country. In terms of technical skills development, the centres focus on practical training geared at work-readiness. Courses include both, those registered on the NQF as well as own short courses, which are best labelled non-formal training. Table 2: NTA-managed public TVET institutions Enrollment Name Location Courses offered (19/20)10 Eenhana VTC Ohangwena 500 Bricklaying and Plastering; Ofce Administration; Joinery & Cabinetmaking; Plumbing and Pipetting; Welding/Fabrication; Solar Installation; Automotive Engineering Foundation Gobabis VTC Gobabis 193 Ofce Administration; Automotive Mechatronics; Airconditioning & Refrigeration; Welding/Metal Fabrication; Leather/Textile Okakarara Okakarara/Otjozondjupa 710 Electrical General; Carpentry and Joinery; VTC Plumbing/Pipetting; Cosmetology; Clothing Production; Ofce Administration; Bricklaying and Plastering; Auto Mechatronics; Welding and Metal Fabrication; Hospitality and Mechatronics Nakayalw VTC Outapi/Omusati 130 Ofce Administration/Business Services; Hospitality and Tourism; Electrical Engineering; Wholesale/Retail Operations; Financial Services; ICT; Civil & building Services Engineering Rundu VTC Rundu, Kavango Ease 800 Auto Mechatronics; Bricklaying and Plastering; Electrical General; Joinery & Cabinetmaking; Ofce Administration; Plumbing/Pipetting; Welding and Metal Fabrication; Boilermaking; Farm Machinery and Infrastructure; Horticulture/Crop Husbandry Valombola Ongwediva, Oshana 750 Airconditioning & Refrigeration; Auto VTC Mechatronics; Bricklaying and Plastering; Joinery & Cabinetmaking; Clothing Production; Electrical General Electronics; Hospitality/Tourism; Ofce Administration; Welding and Metal Fabrication; Boilermaking; Plumbing/Pipetting Zambezi VTC Katima Mulilo, Zambezi 750 Bricklaying and Plastering; Clothing Production; Joinery & Cabinetmaking; Hospitality/Tourism; Plumbing/Pipetting; Ofce Administration; Welding and Metal Fabrication; Horticulture/Crop Production; Agriculture Infrastructure and Machinery Source: NTA. https://www.nta.com.na/training-services/ 9 See also Box 1 for KAYEC and Box 4 in section 4 for COSDEF. 10 No more recent enrolment information was available. 12 A network of Community Learning and Development Centres is maintained by the Directorate of Adult Education in MEAC. Originally focused on second chance foundational education, the centres are currently being re-conceptualized to implement the ministry's Adult Skills Development for Self- Employment Program (Gqwede 2022). At the moment 16 centres are functional across the country, but many more are planned to be established with the aim to ensure a gapless provision of relevant skills development and entrepreneurship promotion packages to vulnerable target groups. According to MEAC, the plan is to reach a total of 5,000 youth (60 % female). Box 1: Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre The Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC) is a Namibian non-pro t trust opened in Katutura in 1995 by then President Sam Nujoma. Originally founded to operate in Katutura, the organisation nowadays works country-wide. It aims to support youth become enterprising, to help young entrepreneurs establish business enterprises in the informal sector and to support unemployed youth to locate formal sector employment. The trust has two main lines of activities: skills development as well as youth development. Skills development is provided in two centres in Windhoek and Ondangwa. It comprises mainly 6-months accredited Level 1 vocational training courses in automotive, bricklaying and plastering, clothing production, early childhood development, electrical general, ICDL, joinery and cabinet making, plumbing & pipe tting as well as welding/metal fabrication. Apart from minimum age limits - bene ciaries have to be at least 16 years for day-school and 18 years for night school - no entry requirements apply. Trainees have to contribute N$ 50 as application fee and N$ 3,000 as course fee. All training courses include English Communications, Basic Numeracy, HIV prevention and Entrepreneurship. Furthermore, two-weeks operator courses are offered in forklift operations and tractor loader backhoe. The KAYEC Youth Development (KYD) program offers a variety of general support interventions in three centres in Windhoek, Otjivarongo and Rundu. Activities include learning to ride a bicycle, life skills courses, foundational skills courses, support to homework, among others. Source: www.kayec.org; NQA. 2020. Private training providers dominate the TVET landscape in terms of number of centres and institutions involved. 56 of the 64 providers registered with NTA were recorded as private. They include private commercial institutions as well as non-for-pro t institutions run by international or national NGOs or faith-based institutions. Some of the private institutions are targeting special groups and disadvantaged youth, such as the Wolvedan Desert Academy (Box 2). 13 Box 2: Wolvedans Desert Academy The Wolwedans Desert Academy is a skills development centre run by the Wolvedans Foundation. It targets disadvantaged youth in the greater Sossusvlei-Namib area and focuses on hospitality trades including accommodation service, front o ce operations, food and beverages. The training academy is lodge-based, i.e. trainees learn in a real life environment. Agriculture training programs including horticulture and crop production complement the courses offered in the Academy. The training is sponsored by the SSC-Development Fund and the NTA. Courses are leading to NQF-registered quali cations. Three new courses for facility maintenance, organic gardening and upholstery, for which a local demand could be established, are planned to be introduced. From its inception, over 300 young Namibians have been trained. Source: www.wolwedansdesertacademy.org Data on enrollment are available only in aggregated form. According to information provided by the NTA TVET enrolment peaked in 2020 with a total of 35,000 learners enrolled but dropped during the time of the COVID 19 pandemic and recovered to 23,400 in 2022 (Figure 6). These gures exclude apprentices. The 11 NTA Strategic Plan 2019/20-2023/24 envisages an increase of enrollment to 45,000 enrolled trainees in training institutions by 2023/24. In all years, male learners were in the majority in the TVET sector (Annex 6). In 2022, 59 percent of all learners were male. Figure 6: TVET enrolment and number of graduates 2015 to 2022 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Enrolment Graduates Source: Information provided by NTA in October 2023 The current training capacities are not su cient to meet the growing demand for skills development from unemployed youth or those newly entering the labour market. According to NTA data (NTA 2019b), there were 26,350 applicants for TVET programs in the year 2017, of which 18,310 did not secure a training place, while 9,519 were newly taken in. Figures increased in 2018 with a total of 35,097 applicants against 10,998 new intakes, leaving more than 25,000 youth unable to join TVET. 11 For the year 2018/19 244 apprentices were registered, planned to increase to 1,200 in 2023/24. NTA Strategic Plan 2019/20-2023/24. Apprenticeship training is further described in Section 3.4. 14 3.3.Quality and Relevance Like almost everywhere in Africa, skills development in Namibia faces reputational challenges. TVET is generally perceived as an unattractive educational option compared to academic tertiary education. It is considered “as less prestigious, feeding into career paths with dim prospects of higher earnings once employed and lower prospects for further education and training; (…) a last resort for those who could not perform well in schools”. (Lukonga, et al. 2018). Apart from cultural and historical reasons, the negative perception may also be a re ection of quality challenges and related employability issues. Improving the quality of TVET delivery Poor quality of training had been a recurring thread in TVET discussions and reform plans for many years. Inappropriately equipped and badly under-resourced training institutions, the lack of appropriately competent and quali ed trainers, outdated curricula that are not aligned with industry needs, lack of training standards, ine cient quality assurance and generally weak management of the TVET system were among the most important causes identi ed. Furthermore, the low level of foundational skills and English language pro ciency of youth coming from the general education system creates signi cant challenges (UNESCO 2016). Signi cant steps towards improvement of quality and relevance have been accomplished between the formulation of the VET Policy in 2005 and the adoption of the new TVET Policy in 2021. Apart from considerable systemic achievements like the establishment of the NTA, the introduction of the TVET levy, the development of apprenticeship and recognition of prior learning (RPL) as well as the 12 introduction of the Competency-based Education and Training (CBET) approach, a number of initiatives were undertaken to improve the actual training quality at the level of training institutions. This included various skills upgrading courses for trainers in public VTCs and upgrading of equipment and infrastructure. As a result, average pass rates improved from 42% in 2014 to 68% in 2019 (MHETI 2021). The introduction of competency-based education and training is still not completed. The shift towards CBET had been initiated with the VET Policy of 2005 with the aim to improve the quality and relevance of skills development in the formal TVET system. However, progress in applying the approach was considered rather disappointing in 2018. Notably training providers complained that the unit standard approach is di cult to use, of low standard and costly (BIA 2018). The development of new quali cations in line with labour market needs is lagging behind as a result of cumbersome procedures (NTA 2022). It may take three years and more to develop and implement a new quali cation. Like in some other countries, CBET was initially introduced without accompanying training packages comprising standardized modules, assessment instruments and instructor guides that would capacitate providers and technical teachers to master the transition (NTA 2016). The TVET Policy of 2021 diagnosed considerable challenges in the acceptance among stakeholders and concludes that the transition to the new approach was slow and remained incomplete. Up to the time when the TVET Policy 2021 was formulated, a total of 117 quali cations and 1,894 unit standards had been developed and registered, or were in the process of being registered, ranging from Level 1 to Level 6 quali cations (MHETI 2021). 12 RPL started o cially in Namibia in 2016 (some form of RPL was previously offered by NIMT). It is generally positively perceived in Namibia, although not su ciently known according to survey ndings of 2016. (BIA 2018) The NTA Strategic Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24 envisages an increase of RPL candidates found competent and certi ed from 612 in 2018/19 to 1,100 in 2023/24. 15 Employment outcomes of TVET completers Available evidence reveals a considerable relevance challenge of the TVET sector. According to an NTA tracer survey (2020), which targeted over 3,100 graduates from 41 different TVET institutions between 2015 and 2017, more than half (50.2%) of all graduates remained unemployed and another 6% were engaged in casual work just to earn money (Table 3). More or less the same employment outcomes were identi ed in the 2016 survey of employers, graduates and training institutions conducted jointly by the Namibian Employers Federation (NEF), Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) and International Labour Organization (ILO) in the context of assessing the preparedness of the country for apprenticeship training (BIA 2018). In this survey, which targeted 100 TVET graduates, 50% were unemployed. Preliminary ndings from a new graduate tracking survey conducted by NTA in 2023, however, suggest an improvement of employment outcomes. The unemployment in 2023 appears to have dropped by more than 6 percentage points to 44% (NTA 2023a). Table 3: Employment outcomes of TVET graduates of 2015 – 2017 Economic Activity Status Male (%) Female (%) Total (%) Regular Job 13.0 12.8 12.9 Self -employment/freelance 19.1 8.7 14.6 Occasional job (just to earn money) 7.6 4.0 6.0 Job attachment 1.4 1.4 1.4 Contract work 9.2 6.1 7.8 Not employed, but searching for a job 44.1 58.3 50.2 Other 2.4 2.6 2.5 Not stated 3.2 6.2 4.5 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 Source: NTA 2020. TVET Graduate Tracer Survey 2015-2017 Report From a gender perspective, the NTA ndings are worrisome as they reveal that female graduates are much more likely to be affected by unemployment. With 58,3%, the share of unemployed among female respondents were 14 percentage points higher than among their male counterparts. One reason appears to be a signi cantly higher probability of male compared to female graduates to operate on a self- employment or freelance basis (19.1% against 8.7%). 13 Not all graduates who are employed can use what they learned in their TVET courses. Only around half of the employed graduates indicated that their current job is related to the eld of study in which they graduated and some 20% stated it would not. 64% were of the opinion that the knowledge and skills acquired during training are being utilized in the current employment (NTA 2020b). The preliminary results of the 2023 NTA tracer survey suggest that an increasing share of graduates consider the skills development during the TVET course as relevant (NTA 2023). The graduate tracking results are mirrored by employers' perceptions about the TVET system. The NTA survey of 2020 and the BIA tracer survey (NTA 2020b; BIA 2018) included interviews with employers asking about their experiences with and opinions about the work readiness of TVET graduates. Overwhelmingly, 13 Disaggregated data on unemployment by gender in the 2023 study were not yet available. 16 employers raised concerns about the quality of skills and competencies of graduates working with them, or conducting an internship in the companies, and indicated a generally high need for substantial further training after recruitment. Particularly larger enterprises (60% in the BIA survey) expressed a considerable mismatch between training outcomes and labour market needs. The BIA survey furthermore revealed striking differences between graduates' and employers' perceptions about the level of job preparation. Whereas more than 90% of graduates felt competently prepared for employment, around half of the employers thought graduates were not well (34% poorly and 18% very poorly) equipped for the job market; and only 6% of employers felt that graduates were competent enough to enter the job market. Employers speci cally complained about: Ÿ Lack of work experience and a bias in favor of theoretical learning in TVET; Ÿ Lack of work attitudes and soft skills; Ÿ Mismatch between curricula used in TVET and labour market requirements; both in terms of technologies and work processes that are often described as outdated and not in line with modern industrial practice, as well as range of trades offered in the TVET system (for example unavailability of training for the retail sector). Employers also mentioned the overemphasis on high level educational quali cations (graduates and diploma) and the lack of urgently needed artisan-level graduates. Furthermore, graduates, according to the perception of some employers, were trained to cover a broad spectrum in the eld of study leading to gaps in specialized skills, which however are required in the market. The latter mainly applied to large companies, while MSEs tend to require rather comprehensively skills staff; Ÿ Inappropriate training institutions (poor trainers and lack of training materials); Ÿ Poor preparation of TVET students through the general education system leading to severe foundational skills de cits of new recruits, notably in the elds of maths and English, and in general knowledge. 3.4. Work-integrated Learning Work-integrated learning (WIL), especially apprenticeship training, has re-gained attention in Namibia in recent years.14 At the time of independence, Namibia had an apprenticeship system with an own legal framework and an apprenticeship inspectorate in the Ministry of Labour. The system was closely modelled after the South African apprenticeship system and comprised 20 apprenticeable trades all in the eld of traditional technical occupations. At the beginning of 1995, a total of 356 apprenticeship contracts were registered, entirely with male learners (Franz 1995). The Vocational Training Act of 2008 superseded this system with full-time institutional training, and, in fact, Namibia currently does not have any apprenticeship regulation. In the wake of renewed global attention on work-based learning, the National Employers Federation (NEF) and the NTA supported by the GIZ project Promoting Vocational Education and Training (PROVET) developed a new framework for piloting apprenticeship training starting in 2016 (NTA 2016; Box 3). The second Harambee Plan (HPP2) envisages to expand the pilot into a fully- edged National Internship and TVET Apprenticeship Programme. The importance of strengthening the work-integrated TVET approach vis-à-vis centre-based learning is also strongly highlighted in the new TVET Policy of 2021. In this context, the policy has identi ed a paradigm shift in TVET, which is also instrumental in addressing the resource constraints in the system. National Apprenticeship Weeks to promote the scheme and the participation of employers were held in 2021 and 14 Namibia operates with a modern dual apprenticeship de nition. In the proposed Policy Framework for Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Internships (NTA 2016), the following de nition is suggested: “An apprenticeship is a form of dual vocational education and training that combines theoretical training (institutional) and on-the-job training (workplace) in a speci c trade. It is aimed at developing speci c trade skills, leading to a trade designation and employment in that trade. (…) An apprenticeship takes between 3 and 4 years culminating in a trade t4est and artisan award”. In 2016, at the time the new apprenticeship framework was conceptualized, apprenticeships were still related to artisanal trades, while for service-related and other occupations, which were not apprenticeable before, the concept of traineeship was developed. The distinction between apprenticeship and traineeship was dropped later on. The new framework offers apprenticeship training in different occupational categories including service trades. 17 2022. In fact, progress in the institutionalization and implementation of a new apprenticeship system 15 appears noteworthy. A number of obstacles, which were identi ed in the rst draft policy framework in 2016 (NTA 2016), including lack of incentives for employers, lack of artisan recognition of prior learning or the lack of regulations to guide implementation of apprenticeship training, have been addressed by now. Box 3: The Namibian Apprenticeship Framework In order to further drive the development of apprenticeship training in Namibia, the NTA through its Work- Integrated Learning Division incentivizes companies to offer apprenticeship training with training grants derived from the Key Priority Grant (KPG) funding window of the VET levy. To participate employers must apply to become an approved apprenticeship provider at the NTA, which assesses the capacities in terms of tools and equipment, machinery, quali ed mentors, understanding of quali cations and relationship with registered/ accredited training institutions. An apprentice must be employed by the company where the training is taking place and registered for Social Security Commission bene ts. The apprenticeship is based on a tripartite written contract between the company, the apprentice, and the training provider. Each apprenticeship must be based on a quali cation registered on the NQF. The training organization follows the dual training approach with alternating learning at the workplace and in an accredited training institutions whereby 70% of training must be delivered at the workplace. Although apprenticeship training is a time-based training scheme, assessment is done in the framework of the new CBET assessment system including formative assessment (partly accomplished at the workplace and certi ed by employers) and a summative assessment at an accredited assessment center. The apprentice is entitled to receive a monthly allowance of not less than the NTA-regulated minimum amount, which is N$2,500 per month, paid throughout the apprenticeship period including in those months where the apprentice is not at the workplace but in the training institution. The minimum apprenticeship allowance represents the stipulated minimum wage for semi-skilled workers. Source: https://www.nta.com.na/nta-apprenticeship/ The new framework facilitates apprenticeship training in 28 trades, including those, which were traditionally not apprenticeable, for example service trades. The training follows a formal dual apprenticeship training approach with relatively strict rules governing formalization of training arrangements, nancial arrangements and dual training arrangements. Participation of employers is incentivized through apprenticeship training grants, which cover the apprentices' allowances and other training costs. By end-March 2020, around 50 employers had been registered under the pilot framework with some 500 learners involved. The NTA plans to increase this number of apprentices to 1,200, and the number of participating employers to 70 by 2023/24 (NTA 2019c). Already in 2005, a private industry initiative had formed the Commercial Advancement Training Scheme (CATS) with the aim of facilitating dual apprenticeship training to school leavers as well as employees in industry-relevant professions. CATS is a registered non-for-pro t company comprising 21 members from the logistics/transport industry. It currently offers two apprenticeship programs: a two-year Diploma in Business Process Management and a one-year certi cate program in Supervisory Skills. CATS students 15 See also BIA 2018, https://www.nta.com.na/nta-apprenticeship/, NTA Annual Report 2019/20, Franz 1995, https://ioewec.newsletter.ioe-emp.org/industrial-relations-and-labour-law-december-2021/news/article/namibia-the- rst-national-apprenticeship-week. 18 are employed with the companies and trained in the company for four days in a week complemented by theory training of another one and a half days delivered by the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). According to CATS, over 30 companies have invested in CATS enrolling some 200 learners over the last 10 years. 16 Furthermore, industrial attachments are required in the institutional TVET system. The TVET curricula used in TVET institutions require learners to undergo an attachment with an employer for a speci ed period. The attachment is also a prerequisite for any learner to register for assessment. The required time spent in the workplace is substantial covering 50% to 65% of the Year 2 and Year 3 training time of a three- year certi cate course (NTA 2016a). Information about whether and to what extent this requirement is honored remains inconclusive, but overall, it appears that a signi cant share of graduates did bene t from attachments. Preliminary results of the 2023 NTA tracer survey show that, 77% of graduates were able to undergo a job attachment, slightly less that 2020 (79.3 percent). However, not all attachments were instrumental to improve workplace skills. “Some responses point to job attachment opportunities as obsolete, misaligned and not matching the labour market's expectations” (NTA 2020). The BIA (2018) survey could establish that 90% of the graduates interviewed had undergone an attachment or any other form of WIL, although many indicated not to have received su cient support from training institutions in this regard. On the other hand, training providers complain about di culties to identify su cient attachment places in industry. The 2023 tracer study (NTA 2023a) showed that 46% of the attachments were paid. Interestingly, male learners had much better chances to secure a paid attachment (58%) compared to female learners (36%). Like in other countries, a main challenge of implementing and expanding WIL appears to be the preparedness of a su cient number of employers to participate and offer learning opportunities to youth. The BIA survey suggests that there is a generally high preparedness among Namibian employers to offer learners WIL opportunities. 68% of interviewed employers indicated to have the ability and opportunities to train and 83% a rmed their willingness to offer some kind of job attachment. However, constraints hamper the full utilization of this potential. Employers raise concern about lack of skilled trainers and lack of time to engage. Particularly SMEs also complain about a lack of funds to support the implementation. Not being part of the VET levy system, SMEs are not eligible to apply for training grants (BIA 2018). 3.5. Financing TVET is nanced through multiple sources. The most important include a) the public budget, which contributes through direct funding allocation for training delivery in TVET institutions and through the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF); b) employers through their contribution to the TVET Levy and own training initiatives; c) private households, by paying training fees; d) donations including from international development partners; e) training institutions, which supplement their institutional income - thus support their training activities – with own income from institutional income generating activities (Table 5). 16 See www.catsnamibia.org. 19 The centerpiece of public TVET funding in Namibia is the National Training Fund (NTF) established in accordance with the VET Act of 2008. The NTF is implemented by the NTA through its National Training Fund Department and controlled by the NTA Board, for which the Board has formed the National Training Fund Council (NFTC) supposed to assist the Board in its functions related to the Fund. The NTF collects different resources earmarked for TVET, especially Government budgetary allocations (Annual Government Subventions for Operations and Capital/Development Projects) and the revenue from the VET Levy, as well as donations. Furthermore, the NTF generates income through service fees, sales and services, or penalties and interests. Also, income generated from the NTA-managed VTCs through income generating activities are deposited in the NTF. Total revenue of the NTF in 2020 17 amounted to some 818 million N$, 50% more than in 2019 (Table 4). The jump in income in 2020 is owed mainly to increased government grants, indicating the vulnerability of the NTF to budget constraints of the Namibian government. Table 4: Revenues of NTF in 2019 and 2020, in million N$ 2019 2020 Government grants 115.6 426.1 VET Levy income 251.7 279.1 Capital grants 4.1 4.1 Interest, penalties 28.2 26.4 Apprenticeship fees 0.2 0.3 Other operating income 144.3 81.6 Total 544.1 817.6 Source: NTA Annual Report 2019/20. Apart from the government budget, the VET Levy contributes the bulk of public nancing. The levy was introduced in 201418 in accordance with the provisions of the 2008 VET Act. Employers with an annual payroll of N$ 1 million and above are obliged to pay 1% of their payroll into the NTF. Exempted from the levy obligation are the state, regional councils, charitable organizations, public education organizations as well as non-for-pro t and faith-based organisations. In March 2020, a total of 2,930 employers were registered as levy payers, and the system had collected a cumulative total of N$ 2.2 billion since inception. Levy collection has increased over the years as a result of improved management and implementation of the system. Whereas the levy started with revenues of N$ 19.1 million in scal year 2015/16, a total of N$ 431.7 million could be collected in 2019/20. The NTF is distributing its resources to a wide range of services and activities related to skills development. The use of the levy income through the NTF is de ned in the regulations of 2014 and limited to (1) Key Priority Training Grants (KPG Funding), for which 35% of levy income is earmarked; (2) Employer Training Grants (ETG Funding), for which 50% of the levy income is reserved; as well as (3) NTA administration cost, for which is remaining 15% of the levy income can be used. 17 Income generating activities of VTCs include guesthouse and catering services, tuck shop sales, rentals, production units (e.g. clothing production), services (e.g. plumbing) and others. 18 Noti ed in Government Gazette on 27. January 2014. 20 Table 5: Revenues from income generating activities of VTCs, FY 2019/20 VTC Income in N$ Nakayale VTC 77,671.51 Rundu VTC 239,073.49 Eenhana VTC 7,218,146.83 Zambezi VTC 1,585,262.84 Okakarara VTC 572,057.00 Valombola VTC 1,062,262.96 Total Income 10,754,474.63 Source: NTA Annual Report 2019/20. Functionally, NTF funds are used Ÿ To provide nancial and technical assistance to employers, VET providers, employees, learners and other persons or bodies to promote VET; Ÿ To fund VET programs and project, which are either identi ed in the National VET Policy or the NTA's Strategic Plan, or that the NTA considers necessary in order to achieve the objectives of the VET Act; Ÿ To fund administrative and operational costs of the NTA; Ÿ For any other expenditure incurred by the NTA or its Board in connection with the performance of their functions; Ÿ For any other expenditure authorized by the VET Act. Under the Government Funding Window, the NTA provides base funding to public VTCs, which are under the auspices of the NTA, including select subsidies for student accommodation and selected community-based organizations (Table 6). In FY 2019/20, N$ 126 million were allocated under this window to support training of 6,588 youth plus hostel accommodation of 659 students. Disbursements to training institutions are based on the number of trainees. Per student allocation for tuition in public VTCs was N$ 13,975, and around N$ 16,520 in community-based institutions including COSDEC centres and KAYEC. The WVTC is not covered under Government VTC funding because it does not fall under the NTA management. It receives training support disbursements either through the training support disbursement schedule of the NTA Budget, or KPG funding subsidies. For scal year 2019/20, a total of N$ 26 million was allocated to WVTC (NTA Annual Report 2019/20). The KPG Funding support, nanced through a 35% share of the levy revenues, funds a broad range of initiatives to support training programs in priority occupations and generally to improve the skills development eco-system. Over N$ 440 million had been spent on KPG funding support until 2019/20 (Table 7). Support interventions fall under two broad categories: (1) support for programmatic expansion and capacity building; as well as (2) support for the expansion of physical infrastructure, aligned with HPP expansion objectives, which envisages an extended public VTC footprint to all regions and the expansion of existing VTCs (NTA 2020a). The bulk of the funding went as training grants to some 40 TVET institutions, including public and private institutions. Training institutions can apply for KPG subsidies for training programs at the Levels 1 to 5. Furthermore, VET expansion, assessments, training of trainers and facilitation of apprenticeships and traineeships are further intervention elds that were signi cantly supported. 21 Table 6: Government Funding Training Support, FY 2019/20 Institution Number of Trainees Total Amount in Million N$ NTA-managed Institutions Nakayale VTC 130 1.8 Rundu VTC 800 11.2 Eenhana VTC 500 7.0 Zambezi VTC 750 10.5 Okakarara VTC 710 9.9 Valombola VTC 750 10.5 Gobabis VTC 193 3.0 Total institutions 3,833 53.8 Community - based Institutions COSDEF 2,000 33.0 KAYEC 755 12.5 Total 2,755 45.5 Hotel Subsidy in Okakarara, Rundu, Eenhana and 659 9.8 Valombola VTCs TOTAL TRAINING SUPPORT 125.9 Source: NTA Annual Report 2019/20. The Employer Training Grant (ETG) of the NTF is the major instrument of the public TVET system to incentivize WBL and employment-involvement in TVET. The ETG is accessible to all employers who have honored their levy commitments and covers costs of eligible training up to 50% of the levy amount paid by the company. Between 2014/15, when the levy was introduced, and 2017/2018, 1,208 employers were bene tting drawing some N$ 205 million from the ETG window. During the cycle 2018/19, 546 employers applied for N$ 99.00 million investment refunds, but the NTF was slow in processing the grant applications. Only 17.2% of these employers had received funding at the time the NTA Annual Report 2019/20 was released. The most important sectors in terms of grant volumes claimed include mining/quarrying/construction, business/ nance, and manufacturing/automotive/sales. Incentivizing performance of training institutions through nancing instruments may be improved. The performance and quality of training providers is frequently criticized, as shown in the previous section. Specially the NTA complains about motivational challenges and low dynamism among providers to change supply in accordance with industry demand (NTA 2022). On the other hand, the funding structure currently implemented does include performance-based funding mechanisms. Disbursement is based on milestones de ned in Training Grant Agreements between training providers and the NTA. Non-achievement of agreed performance targets leads to a funding moratorium for new intake and to funding reduction for dropouts. However, apparently there is a need to re-consider the incentive mechanisms. Supported by GIZ, a new comprehensive funding framework is being developed at the moment. 22 Table 7: NTA Key Priority Funding Support FY 2019/20 Cumulative until FY 2019/20 2019/20 Areas of Investment (in million N$) (in million N$) SDP 1 Training Grants to trainees 243.2 227.7 Apprenticeship and Traineeships 8.7 8.9 TP support, establishment of production units 1.6 3.8 Development of qualications, unit standards & training 2.2 3.1 programs VET Expansion 51.2 53.9 Training of trainers 10.3 12.1 World Skills 9.6 9.9 RPL 4.7 6.3 Assessments, registration and monitoring 16.7 16.2 Inclusion of PWD 1.6 1.8 PPP in TVET at WHK VTC 5.9 10.8 Total 441.4 354.4 Source: NTA Annual Report 2019/20. Other important sources of skills development funding, which is not channeled through the NTA, includes the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) as well as support provided by the Social Security Commission (SSC). The NSFAF is an important source of TVET nancing and an instrument to allow students also from low-income families to participate. The Fund awards mainly loans to mainly VET and undergraduate and to a lesser extend post-graduate students. Support is 19 awarded on a needs basis. Students who are below 28 and unemployed qualify, if their parents do not earn more than N$ 500,000 per year, and N$ 300,000/year respectively, if students are employed, or over 28 years and unemployed. The loans cover training costs of up to N$ 22,825 per year and are repayable after graduation provided the graduate is in employment. In TVET, students in all categories of training institutions including private providers are eligible for NSFAF support, while priority is given to those who have enrolled in one of the priority elds of study. The share of VET students of all NSFAF bene ciaries vary considerably between years and averaged 26.4% over the last decade. In the years 2015 and 2016, the share peaked at over 40%, but went down in 2019 and 2020 to just over one- fth (Table 8). 19 A small number of students receive non-repayable scholarship on merit-basis. In 2019, only 20 students across the country received this support, and only 2 students in 2020. See www.nsfaf.na. 23 Table 8: VET students funded through NSFAF 2010 to 2020 Year Number of Share VET VET students students of funded total supported students (%) 2020 3,252 22.9 2019 2,823 21.5 2018 3,830 34.2 2017 3,248 21.2 2016 5,030 35.7 2015 4,952 42.7 2014 4,783 45.6 2013 1,485 13.9 2012 950 12.3 2011 690 11.5 2010 877 13.7 Total 31,920 26.4 Source: www.nsfaf.na The Social Security Commission Development Fund (SSC-DF), established in 1994 under Section 37 of the Social Security Act, provides bursaries and loans to unemployed who study at any recognized technical and academic institution of higher learning. Fields of study for which bursaries can be applied for include agriculture, artisan related elds including manufacturing, engineering, sheries and marine resources, health professions as well as vocational instructor quali cations. (www.ssc.org.na). 24 4. Youth Employment Programs Compared to formal TVET, the landscape of youth employment programs in Namibia, i.e. those projects, programs and initiatives that are not part of the regular TVET system, appears not well documented. Information in this section is taken from a 2020 World Bank review of youth employment programs,20 the Targeted Review on Youth Unemployment in Namibia conducted by the African Peer Review Mechanism in 2019 (APRM 2019), as well as other online information of different programs and institutions. As far as skills development is concerned, the policy framework in Namibia links the challenge of youth employment very much to the formal TVET sector and its institutions. Unlike in some other countries, Namibia does not aim to establish and maintain a parallel short-term skilling sector that runs independently from the established institutions such as NQF, NTA and the Training Levy Scheme. Accordingly, the answer of the National Social Protection Policy of 2021 to the youth unemployment challenge are mainly interventions to increase participation in TVET and apprenticeship and internship programs (MGEPESW 2021). Table 9 summarizes selected information on programs and initiatives which were identi ed in the course of this review. Unfortunately, information on results and effectiveness was not available for any of these programs. Looking at the supply side, the following characteristics of the Namibian youth employment promotion eco-system emerges: Ÿ A majority of initiatives are active in the support of self-employment and business development. There appears to be a focus on nancial services (loans and grants) often combined with business management training. Some of the programs identi ed, for example the Skills-based Finance for Young Artisans Program of the Development Bank of Namibia or the Credit for Youth in Business of the National Youth Council (NYC) and nanced through the Commercial Bank of Namibia have a sole focus on youth. There are much more actors in the micro- nance and nancial services sector in Namibia, which offer nancial products that are also available to youth. Ÿ There are some initiatives with a clear focus on technical skills development, including COSDEF, KAYEC, the National Youth Service or the SOS Youth Employability Project, which offers skills development to young adults from the SOS children's villages. Most are linked to the formal skills development sector, run NQF-registered programs and consequently award national quali cations, but also selected in-house programs, such as the two-weeks operator courses run in the KAYEC centres. Ÿ Skills development interventions integrated in other youth employability initiatives are otherwise usually limited to entrepreneurship/business skills development as wrap-around service of other core services (usually nancial services) or as more generic entrepreneurship development approach. Junior Achievement is an example for the latter. 20 World Bank. 2020. Policy Brief. Mapping Youth Employment Programs in Namibia. 25 Table 9: Overview of identied youth employment programs Name Implementer/ Funding Emphasis Main features source Community Learning and Ministry of Education, Arts Income generation Government -sponsored Adult Skills Development for Self- Development Centres and Culture, Directorate of entrepreneurship development Employment Project, with a strong focus on unemployed youth. (CLDC) Adult Education Centres to be established throughout the country. Needs assessment and expansion strategy still under development. Community Skills Community Skills Skills Development and See Box 4. Development Centres Development Foundation business development support (COSDEC) Credit for Youth in Business National Youth Council Financial services to youth- Sequence of credit with increasing volume, Mentorship (with Commercial Bank of owned micro-enterprises part of intervention but not implemented lately. Namibia) Financial Literacy Initiative GIZ and various other Entrepreneurship As part of a large range of FL initiatives, including a supporters development/ Financial platform, also youth targeted initiatives: Financial business literacy education aof youth entrepreneurs and Financial Education in schools. Holistic Youth Young Africa (Dutch NGO) Comprehensive program Combined skills training, entrepreneurship/business Empowerment Program training, enterprise development services. Inclusive & Collaborative NUST, originally funded by Tech innovation network University-based network to support technological Innovation Tech Hub Finnish Embassy, various service, access to markets and innovation in Namibia. private and public sponsors, incubation partners Income Generating Min of Gender, Equality Self -employment promotion; Seed grants for self-employment to vulnerable Activities Support Grant and Child Welfare nancial services communities. Not specically targeted at youth. Jobs4Na Job matching Free of charge job-matching portal. Junior Achievement Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship education Globally operating entrepreneurship education and micro Namibia business support program. Katutura Youth KAYEC Trust Skills Development and See description in Box 1. Employment Centre entrepreneurship development (KAYEC) 26 Mobile MTC Internship (work experience) Stipends for internships of HE and TVET students over 3 Telecommunications and business development months each. 166 beneciaries in 2021. Also entrepreneurship Company (MTC) development in the fashion industry. An incubator program Internship and Incubator is planned for 2022. Namibia Integrated Ministry of Labour, Intermediation Public job matching system Employment Information Industrial Relations and System (NIEIS) Employment Creation Namibia Youth Credit Ministry of Sports, Youth Entrepreneurship development Small Loan scheme for nancial support of youth (18-35) Scheme and National Service without collateral. Accompanied by business and nancial literacy training as well as counselling and mentoring. National Youth Mentioned to be in need to be operationalized in the Development Fund National Youth Policy III. National Youth Service National Youth Service Skills development Targeting school-leavers with minimum Grade 10. Training Program Rural Youth Shack Dwellers MSE support/youth groups in Agricultural Cooperative for school drop-outs. Operates in Emerging Agricultural agriculture Omaheke. Cooperative Skills -based Finance for Development Bank of MSE development; nancial Loan support, accompanied by business training and Young Artisans Namibia services mentorship to young artisans. Upgrading of Informal Shack Dwellers Settlements in Namibia Federation/ Namibia Housing Action Group Youth Employability SOS Children’s Village Skills development Skills training including internships for youth from children’s Project Namibia village. Youth Employment Ministry of Rural and Urban Scheme Development Youth Enterprise Fund MGEPESW Entrepreneurship development To be established in accordance with the National Social Protection Policy. Source: World Bank.2020. Policy Brief. Mapping Youth Employment Programs in Namibia; African Peer Review Mechanism. 2019. Targeted Review on Youth Unemployment in Namibia. MTC. 2022. Integrated Annual Report 2021. www. i-namibia.org. www.ja-namibia.org. 27 Box 4: The Community Skills Development Foundation The Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF) is the umbrella organization of the different community skills and entrepreneurship development centres. COSDEF is a registered trust with the objective to increase income-earning capacities of Namibian marginalised populations, including unemployed youth, women and low- skilled adults. Under the umbrella of COSDEF, there are eight COSDECS (in Gobabis, Lüderitz, Ondangwa, Otjiwarongo, Opuwo, Rundu, Swakopmund and Tsumeb) and one Arts-and Craft Centre in Oyetu. Furthermore, Business Development Centres are attached to four COSDECS (Ondangwa, Rundu, Swakopmund and Tsumeb). The centres, which started operating in the late 1990s, offer mainly relevant and practical technical skills development programs which also include business skills, entrepreneurship training and life-skills development. Courses offered include welding and metal fabrication, plumbing and pipe tting, o ce administration, joinery and cabinet making, information communication technology, hospitality & tourism, hairdressing, clothing and textiles production, bricklaying and plastering, jewelry design and manufacturing, leather craft & design, visual arts & design, and fashion design. Courses are accredited by the NQA at Levels 1 or 2. The Business Development Centres offer incubation services and a wider range of business development services. In 2017, an evaluation of the support project had shown high completion rates for COSDEC trainees, but in sum relatively disappointing employment outcomes. One year after the training, approximately 40 % of trainees had reported being employed and another 42% reported being productively engaged. However, only 13 % of those that were employed had held jobs related to their eld of training. Females generally experienced lower employment rates and earnings than male completers. Hardly any COSDEC graduate had continued vocational training, although a signi cant number had indicated before, they would like to. However, at the time of the evaluation, COSDEC courses had not been accredited with NQA. This issue has been resolved in the meantime. Source: www.cosdef.org.na; Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). 2018. Improving Community Vocational Centers in Namibia. Increased training completion rates did not lead to a high rate of employment. Evaluation Brief, January 2018; Mathematica Policy Research. 2017. Evaluation of MCC's Investments in Community Development Centers in Namibia. Final Report. Ÿ The NTA aims to boldly integrate entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship development into the mainstream formal TVET domain. In its 2016 TVET Transformation and Expansion Strategy (NTA 2016b), the NTA envisages strong entrepreneurship development elements in the curriculum of TVET institutions, research and networking and public dialogue facilitation, as well as incubation services to be installed in VTCs. Provision of toolboxes for artisan graduates, facilitation of funding for self-employment, and preferential access of VTC trainees and graduates to maintenance contracts at public institutions are among the practical support functions envisaged to be provided to prospective young entrepreneurs with TVET background. Ÿ Ÿ The most recent TVET graduate tracking survey (NTA 2023) indicates that at the moment, TVET graduates are still by and large disconnected from the entrepreneurship promotion and business development service eco-system. For example, 93% of all self-employed TVET graduates funded their business through funds from family and friends or from own savings. Most graduates (68.9%) started the business because they were unemployed, and 70% of all businesses remain unregistered. Ÿ Ÿ Namibia appears to have only few youth employment initiatives speci cally targeting economic opportunities in the agriculture sector. The Rural Youth Shack Dwellers Emerging Agricultural Cooperative is an exception. Ÿ Ÿ There are few job matching initiatives and portals. The most important is the Namibia Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS) by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation (MLIREC), which had registered over 100,000 mainly youthful job searchers in 28 Ÿ 2019 (APRM 2019). Some commercial portals (Careers 24, Careerjet and Jobs4Na) complement the intermediary space, but mainly target higher-end jobs.21 Ÿ Ÿ From the limited information available there is a lack of comprehensive and integrated packages for youth that offer all required services on the way to employment and self-employment in a tailor-made way, ranging from technical, entrepreneurship, business development and soft/life skills development, job matching, nancial services, access to markets, to mentoring and coaching. Those that were identi ed tend to be small, such as the Holistic Youth Empowerment Program, which is run by a Dutch NGO. Ÿ Ÿ Compared to other African countries, there appears to be a dearth of systematic incubation initiatives targeting youth. The plans to attach incubators to all VTCs yet needs to be put forward. 21 JOBS4NA also includes jobs in lower-skills categories, for example receptionists. 29 5. Issues and Recommendations Since the adoption of the rst VET policy in 2005, Namibia has made great strides to build the foundations of a demand-driven and accessible skills development system. The need to further develop TVET as a key public good to foster economic and social development is strongly enshrined in the country's development agenda and policy framework. Key institutions including the NTA and the levy- based NTF provide a solid base for further development. Substantial investments over the years have expanded the public TVET supply and improved capacities in institutions. The number of private training providers has increased steadily over the years, and the fact that private institutions can access public funding under the KPG window of the NTF is a signal that the private training sector is considered a partner by Government. Of particular importance is also the successful re-introduction of apprenticeship training and the introduction of recognition of prior learning (RPL) to allow people previously excluded from formal skills development entry into a recognised quali cation pathway. However, critical challenges in terms of relevance remain, particularly in view of the pervasive youth unemployment. Although employment chances of youth with a TVET background tend to become better, still more than 4 in 10 TVET graduates stay unemployed. Employer surveys, on the other hand, indicate that the unemployment challenge is not only a result of insu cient jobs in the Namibian labour market. On the contrary: 58% of employers in the BIA survey indicated a shortage of appropriately skilled staff, and more than 81% envisaged an increasing need for skilled workers over the coming ve years (BIA 2018). This implies that many TVET graduates are not t for employment. Further improvements are urgently required to re-orient the skills development system to the requirements of the labour market. Stronger linkages between skills development and systematic employment and self-employment promotion appear urgent and inevitable to support youth without chances in the formal sector employment market to transition into gainful employment. The new TVET Policy of 2021 outlines a promising direction for the skills development eco-system. The policy has a focus on strengthening the governance and management of the TVET system, improving technical teachers training, strengthening the CBET system and revising the curricula in line with market needs, institutional capacity building, and strengthening of work-based learning, among others. Provided government will support and facilitate the envisaged strategies, they are likely to substantially improve the labour market position of young Namibians and contribute to the further development of a demand-driven skills development system. Funding continues to represent a major challenge, in particular to accommodate increasing access as envisaged. Overall, the funding system appears well designed and aligned with best practice elsewhere. It is based on diversi ed funding sources including a functioning levy-system. The funding system is managed through a stakeholder-driven institution (NTF) that controls funding policies, which are oriented on nationally agreed skills development priorities and designed to subsidize training costs to allow access also for low-income groups. It will be important that government keeps its promise to maintain high funding levels from the public budget to assist the further reform and development of the system. The success of rationalization measures and e ciency increases in the management of the NTF and in the disbursement system to training providers, both underway and supported by development partners, will be critical to improve credibility and sustainability of TVET in Namibia. 30 In the rest of this section, selected issues will be highlighted that may have the potential to strengthen the currently ongoing reform process. Expand access to skills development and employment programs for disadvantaged youth Access to relevant skills and employment promotion programs for vulnerable and disadvantaged youth must be improved. Skills development options for youth with low educational attainment and in remote areas remain limited. The TVET courses, which are usually linked to NQF quali cations and delivered in English, tend to exclude early school dropouts. Particularly in remote areas youth are excluded because skills development centres are far away and out of reach for youth who cannot afford to travel. Comprehensive projects with holistic approaches to youth employment challenges are more effective. Most available programs and projects in Namibia are not designed as comprehensive programs that offer an integrated approach to the various barriers youth face, including skills de cits, lack of entrepreneurial culture, di culties to identify and access markets and nancial services. Despite of the importance of agriculture, forestry and sheries in the Namibian informal labour market, there are hardly any programs that would exploit the youth employment opportunities in agro-based value chains. Coordination of youth programs is insu cient. The youth unemployment review of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) of 2019 identi es the lack of coordination and intersectoral dialogue as a critical bottleneck for the further development of an effective youth job creation space in Namibia. A large range of institutions and stakeholders are involved in different programs including the ministries in charge of education, higher education, labour, youth and sports, trade and industry, MSE development, nance and others, the private sector, NGOs and civil society. According to the APRM report, the Namibian youth employment landscape suffers from an uncoordinated policy and institutional framework, lack of administrative coordination, a poor nancial consolidation of youth programs, and a lack of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation. Following the APRM review report of 2019, it is recommended to establish a Youth Program Coordination and Implementation Unit, in charge of consolidating the funding of youth programs across various ministries and government agencies, coordination of different activities, monitoring and evaluation of all targeted programs, and development of a platform and information support system to increase transparency in the eco-system and access to information for youth. Further public investments in comprehensive approaches that holistically address youth employment barriers will be important, together with sector-speci c approaches including in the ICT and agriculture/agro-business sector. Good practice in other countries, for example South Africa or Tanzania, may serve as inspiration for Namibia. The expansion of incubation centers attached to educational institutions (TVET and higher education) must be supported. Expand WIL opportunities by getting MSEs into the picture The focus on work-integrated learning is important and appears solid. By all means, the strong emphasis during recent years to re-introduce, strengthen, formalize and expand apprenticeship 31 training (and more widely, work-integrated learning) represents an important strategic move in the Namibian skills system to increase its relevance and labour market orientation and to enhance the employability of its graduates. The development of WIL has considerably gained importance throughout the globe. Evidence worldwide shows that WIL improves the relevance of skills development and consequently the chances for employment. Experience in Europe demonstrates that in countries where most vocational learning takes place in apprenticeships youth unemployment is signi cantly lower than in those countries where skills development is mainly offered in educational and training institutions. Tracer studies in Asia have revealed that apprenticeship graduates have better chances to nd jobs than those youth who obtained the same quali cation in institutional learning. Skills development delivered mainly or partly at the workplace exposes youth to real workplace conditions, thus improving up-to-date technical competencies but also soft skills and work attitudes. Work-integrated learning also improves the t of new recruits with company requirements as employers have the chance to observe youth performance in the workplace before recruitment. This also increases the job chances for youth who cannot rely on private networks during job search in those countries where recruitment procedures are predominantly informal. Furthermore, studies in the UK indicate that particularly for those youth that show a relatively low inclination to learn WIL schemes such as apprenticeships can provide an attractive and manageable alternative to traditional school-based educational careers. Particularly in countries with a strong informal and MSE sector, strengthening informal apprenticeship training can substantially improve the skills development options for vulnerable youth, specially from low-income families and with low levels of education. 22 WIL in Namibia can build on a previous apprenticeship culture in the country. The recent efforts of NEF and NTA to develop the National Apprenticeship Framework appears to have been well received among employers and has managed to grow WIL opportunities for youth. By 2020, 500 young people could be accommodated in dual apprenticeships. However, considering the challenge of providing meaningful job preparation to some 25,000 to 30,000 new labour market entrants every year, this number must be considerably increased. Furthermore, while the established institution-based CBET courses require industrial internships as part of the training, there are indications that many youth do not have a chance to actually accomplish such WIL modules. The needed expansion of WIL cannot rely on the formal sector alone, dominated by larger employers, parastatals and the public sector. If Namibia wants to signi cantly increase the number of youths accommodated in WIL, unlocking the training potential in micro and small enterprises (MSEs) may present an important option. At the moment small enterprises are underrepresented as WIL hosting employers. One reason is the lack of nancial support, since small employers which are not levy-paying are not entitled to reimbursement of training costs under the ETG window of the NTA. Experience in other countries shows that other challenges such as lack of management capacities and lack of supervisory and mentoring skills are often barriers preventing small companies to participate in WIL schemes. In relation to formal apprenticeship training, furthermore, MSEs often cannot provide the full set of occupational experience required in an apprenticeship quali cation, as their range of business is limited.23 To participate in WIL, especially in apprenticeship training, MSEs require a special assistance approach offering services of sensitization and information, mobilization, capacity building and handholding in administrative matters. Facilitating the cooperation of several small and micro employers, for example, may be needed. In some countries it has proven useful to organise a rotation of apprentices between different small employers to ensure that learners get a full occupational exposure. 22 A summary of the global discussion on apprenticeships is provided in Vocational Skills Development Program (VSDP). 2019. Apprenticeship Training in Asia. Swisscontact. 23 See Franz, Jutta, Elizabeth Ninan, Carmel Marock. 2022. Engagement of Micro and Small Enterprises in Workplace-based Learning in South Africa. World Bank. 32 In many countries, including South Africa or Australia, lead employer models are applied to unburden MSEs from the administrative requirements and responsibilities of employing apprentices themselves. In such models, external organizations o cially function as employers of apprentices, which are then placed in MSE for the actual workplace experience. A recent World Bank study on workplace-based learning in MSEs in South Africa suggested intermediaries as a promising organisational structure to systematically strengthen MSE training capacities and facilitate the participation in WIL of small and very small enterprises (Franz/Ninan/Marock 2022). A stronger involvement of MSEs as hosting employers for WIL would also be instrumental to increase access of youth with lower-level educational achievement. The BIA (2018) survey indicated that employers prefer youth enter TVET with relatively high educational attainment, either Grade 10 or Grade 12. Only SMEs indicated to a signi cant extent (33%) that also youth with a school quali cation below Grade 10 would be welcomed. Options to develop the informal sector as a training ground for learners should be explored. Unlike in West and East Africa, most countries in Southern Africa do not have a strong tradition of informal apprenticeship training provided by master craftspersons. However, there are promising attempts in South African former townships to combine, in a holistic approach, business development, job creation and apprenticeship training interventions. Exploring possibilities and chances for similar approaches in Namibia may also be interesting to broaden the range of youth employability programs targeting vulnerable youth. Against this background, it is recommended to (1) conduct a baseline and feasibility study related to WIL in MSEs in Namibia, (2) to develop and implement strategies to incentivize and support MSE participation in WIL and (3) to explore the possibilities to develop WIL in the informal sector. Tackle the challenge of technical teachers and trainers in a systematic way Quali ed, competent and motivated technical teachers and trainers are the backbone of any skills development system. Namibia, indeed, is struggling with skills and quali cation de cits of its instructor staff in the skills development system, further aggravated by the transition from traditional to CBET training delivery, a move that many teachers have not fully adjusted to. In this regard, the new TVET Policy includes an intervention package that aims at systematization and institutionalization of technical teachers training and further training. Concretely, it envisages the development of standards for technical teachers and trainers, training needs assessment, the development and introduction of a continuous professional development (CPD) system, as well as the introduction of skills assessments of technical teachers and trainers. The aim of institutionalizing technical teachers and trainers' development based on standards and continuous veri cation is an important move. However, the increase in numbers of quali ed teachers needs to remain another focus. The system will inevitably require more teaching staff in order to accommodate the intended enrollment expansion. Furthermore, the transformation of the Namibian economy is likely to come with a growing demand for highly quali ed technicians, creating competition for skilled workforce with the skills development sector. Especially in more sophisticated occupational elds, it will be di cult for the TVET system to attract quali ed technicians who would be able to earn 33 higher wages in industry. Experience in other countries show that being a TVET teacher is often not attractive and of high reputation, and that improving the working conditions and remuneration packages for technical teachers/trainers can be an approach to increase the pool of human resources for skills development. While further training of technical teachers and trainers is enormously important, it must be seen in a comprehensive context of human resource development for skills development. This would address, in addition to further training and CPD, also challenges related to systemic reforms of pre-employment training, working conditions, remuneration and career progression, exibility in the entry into the technical teaching profession, options to use technology for strengthening technical teachers/trainers pre- and in-service training and other challenges. It is therefore recommended to consider formulating a more comprehensive strategy for human resource development for skills development, which would, among others, Ÿ Be based on a thorough baseline and needs assessment covering both quantitative as well as qualitative aspects of future needs for technical teachers/trainers: How many teachers are needed in the years to come to accommodate the increasing enrolment? How will the required skills and quali cations pro le of teaching staff change in view of economic transition and changing industry skills needs and the increasing need to accommodate unemployment youth in targeted programs? What skills de cits can be identi ed among currently serving teachers, in general and speci cally related to the further roll-out of CBET? Ÿ Ÿ Include the needs of TVET administration, system and centre management; Ÿ Ÿ Consider the needs of technical teaching staff in the private training sector; Ÿ Ÿ Identify the role of technology in improving the quality and enhancing the e ciency of technical teachers/trainers' management and training (including road map for implementation) Ÿ Ÿ Develop a CPD system for technical teaching staff (including road map for implementation); and Ÿ Ÿ Address identi ed challenges in working conditions, terms of employment and career prospects in order to make technical teaching an attractive professional option in Namibia. Focus on digital and green skills and expand the use of ICT in skills development and youth employment promotion As Namibia intends to close up economically to the industrialized world by 2030, a strong focus on digital skills development appears paramount. This also applies to lower-level skills development. The 24 global use of technology has not only broadened the scope of skills needed, but also changed the way jobseekers can connect to the labor market. Digital skills can empower and create new opportunities for persons who have di culties in accessing traditional job markets, such as people living in remote areas or people with disabilities. On the other hand, new skill sets for digital jobs are needed for Namibia's industrial and service sector to raise the country's global competitiveness and for Namibian youth to establish themselves in modern online markets. Even in traditional occupations, tomorrow's labor market will require digital literacy and mastering of specialized technologies for adapting innovation. The 24 Namibia's recent Science, Technology and Innovation Policy has a strong focus on higher education. Cp. MHETI. 2022. Revised National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (NSTIP) (2020-2030). Harnessing Knowledge and Innovation for Sustainable Development. 34 TVET system has the potential to become an essential facilitator of building digital skills in the workforce. Transforming the skills space at all levels towards digital skills requires dedicated investments in new programs for jobs in the ICT market, overhaul of curricula to address emerging digital developments in conventional professions and interventions to increase the digital literacy for all. The latter particularly applies to vulnerable youth in the labour market who need to be capacitated for technology-based communication, production and processes in the job market. To develop a bold focus on digital skills, it is recommended to develop a digital skills strategy which includes a road map for the strengthening of digital literacy, specialized digital skills (such as use of robotics and digital equipment in the world of work; skills required for researching, installing, managing and maintaining digital tools, systems and equipment both in the formal and informal sectors of the economy), as well as for skills for ICT professions, such as software engineering, e- business, etc. Such a strategy development process should be informed by the wealth of digital skills projects and approaches in other countries. For example, the World Bank is supporting selected African countries, including Malawi and Nigeria, to strengthen the digital innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by providing grants to projects and initiatives for innovative digital skills development and for supporting youth to succeed in emerging e-markets. Focusing on green skills will help Namibia exploit its competitive edge in the eld of energy transition. To develop the green economy capitalizing on Namibia's uniquely abundant sunlight, wind, seawater and marine resources plays an important role in the country's development framework. The ambitious 25 renewable energy expansion plans de ned in the second Harambee Prosperity Plan and other climate- change policies requires a focused and dedicated effort to develop the necessary green skills among the Namibian workforce. It is recommended to initially ll data and information gaps by conducting a green skills needs assessment, an evaluation of the current green skills provision, and a related gap analysis for green skills development at different educational levels. This may eventually feed into the formulation of a road map for green skills development to assist the country's climate change and energy transition agenda. Furthermore, technology-enabled teaching and learning should be reinforced. Namibia has adopted a National TVET e-Learning Strategy in 2023. A swift implementation of the strategy has an enormous potential of increasing e ciency and quality in educational processes, notably also in the eld of teacher education and further training. Reinforcing ICT platforms to facilitate opportunities for skills development and jobs, as suggested in the National Youth Policy, can enable more unemployed youth to access relevant support and gainful employment. Improve monitoring and evaluation The further development of a TVET MIS, envisaged to be taken forward under the 2021 TVET Policy, is highly important for the targeted implementation of the skills development agenda. At the moment, management information on skills development, as far as openly accessible, is rather weak. Disaggregated data on enrolment, technical teachers, programs, access by gender, location and vulnerability, among others, are not available and hamper a thorough analysis of performance and supply data. It is important that skills development data are captured, regularly analyzed and made publicly available on all different public and private, formal and non-formal skills development initiatives. Linking these to regular tracer studies will greatly improve the possibility to monitor performance and priorities in 25 See the second Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP II), and Hage G. Geingob. 2021. Namibia is poised to become the renewable energy hub of Africa. Oct 3, 2021. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/namibia-is-positioned-to-become-the-renewable-energy-hub-of-africa 35 the system. 26 It is recommended to prioritize investments into further MIS building in the skills and youth employment promotion space, with a view to articulate and possibly integrate data on different sub- systems. 26 After three years, the NTA conducted another TVET graduate tracking survey in 2023 at considerably reduced costs compared to the rst survey of 2020. Keeping these interval in the future would be instrumental to analyze the performance of the skills development system over time. 36 Bibliography African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). 2019. Targeted Review on Youth Unemployment. Namibia. Bank of Namibia. 2018. Creating Employment through Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Namibia. 19th Annual Symposium. Business Intelligence Africa (BIA). 2018. Survey to Assess Challenges for Employers in Implementing Apprenticeship Programmes in Namibia. In cooperation with Namibian Employers' Federation (NEF), Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN), and International Labour Organization (ILO). Franz, Jutta. 1995. Financing the Namibian Vocational Training System. NEPRU Research Report No. 11. The Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit. Franz, Jutta, Elizabeth Ninan, Carmel Marock. 2022. Engagement of Micro and Small Enterprises in Workplace- based Learning in South Africa. World Bank. Gqwede, Mzingisi. 2022. Promoting Lifelong Learning at Community Learning and Development Centres in Namibia. Lukonga, Richwell; Bernie Zaaruke and Charlotte Tjeriko. 2018. Overview of the Current Vocational Training in Namibia. In: Bank of Namibia. 2018. Creating Employment through Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Namibia. 19th Annual Symposium. Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC). 2018. Improving Community Vocational Centers in Namibia. Increased training completion rates did not lead to a high rate of employment. Evaluation Brief, January 2018. Mathematica Policy Research. 2017. Evaluation of MCC's Investments in Community Development Centers in Namibia. Final Report. Ministry of Education (MoE). 2005. Namibia Vocational Education and Training (VET) Policy 2005. Ministry of Education (MoE). 2008. Vocational Education and Training Act. Ministry of Education (MoE)s. 2014a. Regulations relating to use of vocational training levies for funding vocational education and training programmes and projects and for providing technical and nancial assistance. Government Notice No. 5/2014. Ministry of Education (MoE). 2014b. Imposition of vocational education and training levy on employers. Government Notice No. 6/2014. Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW). 2021. Social Protection Policy 2021 – 2030. Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI). 2021. National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Policy. Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI). 2022. Revised National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (NSTIP) 2020-2030. Harnessing Knowledge and Innovation for Sustainable Development. 37 Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI). 2017. Strategic Plan 2017/18 – 2020/21. Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development (MITSMED). 2016. National Policy on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Namibia 2016-2021. Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare. 2018. Social Protection Policy. Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service (MSYNS). 2020. National Youth Policy III (third Revision). Mainstreaming Youth Development into the National Agenda 2020 – 2030. Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service (MSYNS). National Youth Policy III. Mainstreaming Youth Development into the National Agenda. 2020 – 2030. Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). 2015. Growth at Home. Namibia's Execution Strategy for Industrialization. Namibia Quali cations Authority (NQA). 2020. Namibian institutions and their programmes accredited by Namibia Quali cations Authority as of November 2020 (updated 2. December 2020). National Planning Commission (NPC). 2012. National Human Resource Plan 2010-2025. National Statistics Agency (NSA). 2019. The Namibia Labou Force Survey 2018 Report. National Training Authority (NTA). 2016a. Policy Framework and Guidelines. Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Internships. October 2016. National Training Authority (NTA). 2016b. Transformation and Expansion Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Building a Skilled Nation. National Training Authority (NTA). 2018. Strategic Plan 2019/20 to 2022/23. National Training Authority (NTA). 2019a. Draft National Policy on Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Sector. National Training Authority (NTA). 2019b. Status of TVET System Development and Implementation of VET Transformation & Expansion Strategy. Presentation held by Jerry Beukes, CEO/NTA, at the Stakeholder Workshop on Review of VET Policy 2005 on 13. February 2019. National Training Authority (NTA). 2019c. NTA Strategic Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24. National Training Authority (NTA). 2020a. Annual Report 2019/2020. National Training Authority (NTA). 2020b. TVET National Graduate Survey 2015-2017 Report. National Training Authority (NTA). 2021. Industry Skills Committees. Terms of Reference. Version 2: July 2021. National Training Authority (NTA). 2022. Skills Development Plan for the TVET Sector 2 (2022-2026). National Training Authority (NTA). 2023a. Preliminary Data Outlook. 2nd National TVET Graduate Survey. NSCO TVET Conference, Ongwediva, 26-28 September 2023. National Training Authority (NTA). 2023b. National TVET e-Learning Strategy. March 2023. National Training Authority (NTA). 2023c. NTA – Registered Training Providers, 11. October 2023. National Training Authority (NTA). The Integrated Strategy Business Plan 2023 – 2026. 38 National Quali cations Authority (NQA). 2022. Namibian Institutions and Their Programmes accredited by the National Quali cations Authority as of 30 March 2022. O ce of the President (OP). 2004. Namibia Vision 2030. Policy Framework for Long-term National Development. Social Security Commission Development Fund (SSC-DF). Application Guidelines for Bursaries. www.ssc.org.na UNDP. 2022. Human Development Report 2021/22. UNESCO. 2016. TVET, Higher Education and Innovation. Policy Review Namibia. Vocational Skills Development Program (VSDP). 2019. Apprenticeship Training in Asia. Swisscontact. World Bank. 2020. Policy Brief. Mapping Youth Employment Programs in Namibia. World Bank. 2021. Namibia. Systematic Country Diagnostic. 39 Annex Annex 1: Namibia: GDP by Activity 2022 (current prices) in Percent Industry % of total GDP Primary Agriculture, lifestock, sheries 9.5 Mining and quarrying 9.1 Total primary industries 18.5 Secondary Manufacturing 11.3 Electricity and water 3.1 Construction 1.8 Total secondary industries 16.2 Tertiary Wholesale and retail trade, 10.0 repairs Hotels & restaurants 2.0 Transport, storage 2.8 Information Communication 1.7 Financial services and 7.2 insurance Real estate 5.7 Other services 1.6 Arts, entertainment 1.9 Public administration & 10.4 defence Education 10.6 Health 3.7 Private Households 0.7 Total tertiary industries 58.3 Source: Namibia Statistics Agency. 2021. Annual National Accounts 2021. 40 Annex 2: Occupations in High Demand 2022 to 2026 (Estimated required number of trainees by 2026 in key priority occupations) Sector Number of required trainees during plan period Mining, construction, energy, gas, water, sanitation 440 Business and nance 2,050 Fisheries and maritime 500 Health care and social services 3,525 Manufacturing, automotive sale, arts and crafts 1,250 Postal and communication 820 Tourism and hospitality 1,100 Transport, Logistics and warehousing 3,215 Wholesale and retails 5,725 Agriculture and forestry 6,100 Crosscutting occupations (incl. customer care 51,750 services, employability skills, entrepreneurship, environment for sustainable development, supervisory skills, upskilling of trainers) Source: NTA. Skills Development Plan for the TVET Sector 2 (2022-2026). 41 Annex 3: Training Providers Registered with the NTA as of October 2023 Name of Institution Ownership Capactiy Location Region Field of Training 1 Atlantic Training private 190 Oshakati Oshana Business, Institution, Oshakati Hospitality 2 Atlantic Training private 120 Windhoek Khomas Agriculture Institution, Windhoek 3 Africa Institutional private 240 Arandis Erongo Business, Management Hospitality Services 4 Agra Limited private 340 Windhoek Khomas Technical/Artisan 5 Anistemi College & private 40 Usakos Erongo Social Training Centre 6 Army Technical para-statal 32 Grootfontein Otjozondjupa Social Training Centre 7 Chris Junior private 20 Windhoek Khomas Agriculture Agricultural Training Centre 8 Clocknet Vocational private 80 Okahao Omusati Hospitality Training Centre, Okahao 9 Clocknet Vocational private 180 Windhoek Khomas Business, Social, Training Centre, Technical/Artisan Windhoek 10 DAPP Vocational private 79 Onambelela Omusati Agriculture School 11 DayDream Institute private 70 Rundu Kavango Business, Social, of Training & Skills Technical/Artisan Development 12 Emerald Hair Beauty private 20 Windhoek Khomas Cosmetology, & Training Centre Technical/Artisan 13 El Toro Ranch CC private 30 Okahandja Otjo Automotive 14 Eressy Training private 20 Katima Mulilo Zambezi Textile Academy 15 Johanna Jacobs private 20 Gibeon Hardap Real estate VTC 16 Heritage private 60 Windhoek Khomas Social, OHS Management Institute 17 Homestead Skills & private 108 Okongo Ohangwena Hospitality, textile, Technical Education Entrepreneurship Academy, Okongo 18 Homestead Skills & private 465 Ongula Ohangwena Hospitality, Technical Education Village Textile, Academy, Ongula Agriculture, Entrepreneurship 42 Name of Institution Ownership Capactiy Location Region Field of Training 19 Intellectus Campus private 180 Ongwediva Oshana Business, Social, Entrepreneurship 20 Intellectus Campus private 120 Windhoek Khomas Business 21 Insurance Institute of private 10 Windhoek Finance Namibia 22 Johny & Panduleni private 80 Oshakati Oshana Social, OHS Vocational Centre 23 Kestech Trading private 60 Windhoek Electrical Enterprise 24 K & N Hospitality private 60 Katima Mulilo Zambezi Hospitality Institute 25 Mapac Technical private 160 Oshakati Oshana Technical/Artisan Training Institute 26 Marco Mpollo private 200 Ogongo Omusati Hospitality, Vocational Training Technical/Artisan Centre 27 Marco Mpollo private 120 Opoto Oshana Hospitality, Vocational Training Technical/Artisan, Centre Agriculture 28 Maven Consultancy private 60 Windhoek Khomas Education CC 29 Millenium Vocational private 80 Omajalanga Omusati Social Digital Training Institute 30 NamWater HRDC private 280 Okahandja Otjozondjupa Technical/Artisan 31 Nakayale VTC public Outapi Omusati Hospitality, (Outapi) Technical/Artisan, Business 32 Namibia College of para-statal 330 Windhoek Khomas Business, Open Learning Technical/Artisan, (Windhoek) OHS 33 Namibia College of private 60 Windhoek Khomas Agriculture Technology & Vocational Training 34 Namibia Defence govern- 241 Okahandja Otjozondjupa Technical/Artisan Force Training ment Establishment VTC 35 Namibia Institute of private 10 Oshakati Oshana Hospitality Traditional Culinary & Events Management 36 Namibia Institute of private 25 Swakopmund Erongo Welding Welding 37 Namibian Maritime para-statal 70 Walvis Bay Erongo Technical/Artisan & Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) 43 Name of Institution Ownership Capactiy Location Region Field of Training 38 Nampower Training para-statal 60 Walvis Bay Erongo Technical/Artisan Centre 39 Namvoc Vocational private 340 Okakarara Otjozondjupa Business, Institute Technical/Artisan, Agriculture 40 Namibia Wildlife para-statal 90 Gross Otjozondjupa Hospitality Resort Limited Barmen 41 Namibia Wildlife para-statal 121 Khorixas Kunene Hospitality Resort Limited 42 National Youth private 470 Rietfontein Otjozondjupa Business, Service Agriculture, Technical/Artisan, Hospitality 43 Ngato Vocational private 195 Rundu Kavango East Business, Training Centre Technical/Artisan, (Kehemu) Social 44 Ngato Vocational private 53 Okongo Ohangwena Business, Training Centre Refridgeration/ (Okongo) AC 45 NICHE Training private 100 Walvis Bay Erongo Metal fabrication Academy 46 Nile Vocational private 194 Oniipa Oshikoto Hospitality, Training Centre electrical 47 Nirvana Academy & private 40 Walvis Bay Erongo Fire ghting Investment CC 48 Northgate Technical private 60 Ondangwa Oshana OHS, Electrical College 49 Ondangwa private 330 Ondangwa Oshana Electrical, Commercial College Hospitality, Social 50 Ongha VTC private 140 Ohangwena Ohangwena Technical/Artisan, Agriculture 51 PMT Health Care private 80 Windhoek Khomas Social Institution 52 Prosperity Hotel private 15 Windhoek Khomas Social School 53 Rehoboth Institute of private 40 Rohoboth Hardap Social Technology 54 River Higher Institute private 170 Windhoek Khomas Social of Technology (Windhoek) 55 R.I. Katjire Technical private 190 Windhoek Khomas Technical/Artisan, College Agriculture, Business 44 Name of Institution Ownership Capactiy Location Region Field of Training 56 Shikalepo private 44 Windhoek Khomas Diesel mechanic Mechanical Engineering Training Centre 57 Shadonai Beauty private 80 Windhoek Khomas Cosmetology, School Technical/Artisan 58 Shalom Tailoring private 165 Grootfontein Otjozondjupa Agriculture, Academy Social, Business, Technical/Artisan 59 St Anthony Universal private 70 Windhoek Khomas Social College 60 St Benedict VTC private 40 Oshikuku Omusati Hospitality 6` Symanek Training private 60 Okahandja Otjozondjupa Business, Social Academy 62 Twapewa Kadhikwa private 130 Windhoek Khomas Entrepreneurship, Institute of cosmetology Entrepreneurshi p & SME Development 63 Welwitchia School of private 120 Farm Otjozondjupa Agriculture Agriculture and Voorwaarts Nature Conservation 64 Wolwedans private 100 Farm Hardap Hospitality, Foundation Trust Wolwedans Agriculture (Desert Academy) Source: https://trainingproviders.nta.com.na/download/training-providers-registered-with-the-nta-list-as-at-11-october-2023/ 45 Annex 4: List NQA-accredited Institutions NQA-accredited training institutions in September 2023 1. Academy of Banking Namibia CC 2. African Hospitality and Tourism CC 3. Africa Institutional Management Services CC (AIMS) 4. African Leadership Institute (ALI) 5. Alba Chipamba Training Centre CC 6. Anistemi College and Training Centre 7. Atlantic Training Institution CC 8. Botho University (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd 9. Brilliant Training College previously known as Katutura Community College (KCC) 10. Business School of Excellence (BSE) 11. Clocknet Vocational Training Centre (Pty) Ltd (CVTC) 12. College of the Arts (COTA) 13. DAPP (Development Aid from People to People) Vocational Training School 14. Eenhana Vocational Training Centre (EVTC) 15. Exedin Training Academy CC 16. Frameworks Africa Consultancy CC 17. Gobabis Vocational Training Centre (GVTC) 18. Headstart Montessori Teacher Training College 19. Homestead Skills and Technical Education Academy (HSTEA) 20. I-Care Health Training Institute CC 21. Institute for Open Learning (IOL) 22. International Training College – Lingua (ITCL) 23. International University of Management (IUM) 24. Kambaku Hospitality College CC 25. Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC) Trust 26. Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) 27. Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (Pty) Ltd 28. Marco Mpollo Vocational Training Centre CC (MMVTC) 29. Military School – Osona Base (NDF-VTC) 30. Namibia Command and Staff College (NCSC) 31. Namibia Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF) 32. Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary (NETS) 33. Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH) 34. Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) 35. Namibia Institution Leading to Entrepreneurs (NILE) Vocational Training Centre 36. Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) 37. Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) 38. Nampost Business School 39. Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) 40. NamVoc Vocational Institute 41. Nakayale Vocational Training Centre 42. NamWater Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) 43. National Institute of Technology (NIT) (Pty) Ltd previously known as Centre for Training and Projects Development (CTPD) 44. National Youth Service (NYS) 45. Ngato Vocational Training Centre 46. NICHE Training Academy CC 47. Okakarara Vocational Training Centre 48. Ongha Vocational Training Centre CC 46 49. Philippi Trust Namibia 50. PMT Health Care Institution CC 51. RIK Technical College CC 52. River Higher Institute of Technology (Pty) Ltd 53. Rundu Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) 54. Shadonai Beauty School CC 55. Shiramed Medical Institute (Pty) Ltd 56. Silver Spoon Hospitality Academy CC 57. St. Charles Lwanga Major Seminary 58. Sunshine Private College 59. The Insurance Institute of Namibia 60. Triumphant College CC 61. Tulipohamba Training and Assessment Institute 62. United Lutheran Theological Seminary (ULTS) – Paulinum 63. Valombola Vocational Training Centre (VVTC) 64. Welwitchia Health Training Centre (Pty) Ltd 65. Windhoek Hospitality and Culinary College (Pty) Ltd (WHCC) 66. Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (WVTC) 67. Wolwedans Foundation Trust 68. Zambezi Vocational Training Centre (ZVTC) Source: Namibia Quali cations Authority. 2023. Namibian institutions and their programmes accredited by the Namibia Quali cations Authority. Updated 11. September 2023 47 Annex 5: List of COSDEC Centres Centre Location COSDEC Benguela Centre Lüderitz COSDEC Mahetago Swakopmund Omaheke COSDEC Gobabis COSDEC Tukerenu Centre Rundu COSDEC Tsumeb Centre Tsumeb COSDEC Otjiwarongo Centre Otjiwarongo COSDEC Opuwo Centre Opuwo COSDEC Ondangwa Centre Ondangwa COSDEF Arts and Crafts Centre Swakopmund Source: Lukonga et al 48 Annex 6: TVET Enrolment and Graduates 2015 to 2022 Percent Percent Enrolment male female Graduates 2015 25137 58% 42% 3852 2016 26800 58% 42% 5849 2017 27000 58% 42% 8748 2018 32120 58% 42% 8944 2019 31506 58% 42% 15064 2020 34920 53% 47% 4833 2021 16740 51% 49% 9134 2022 23412 59% 41% Source: NTA 49 Annex 7: Students Funded Through NSFAF 2010 to 2020 Year VET Under Post- Scholarships Total % VET on students graduate graduate (special students Total students students initiatives) funded students 2020 3,252 10,733 192 2 14,179 22.9 2019 2,823 9,985 311 20 13,139 21.5 2018 3,830 6,834 427 124 11,215 34.2 2017 3,248 10,888 1181 15,317 21.2 2016 5,030 8,222 712 136 14,100 35.7 2015 4,952 6,339 218 86 11,595 42.7 2014 4,783 5,544 159 10,486 45.6 2013 1,485 8,953 222 10,660 13.9 2012 950 6,692 58 7,700 12.3 2011 690 5,264 23 5,977 11.5 2010 877 5,487 20 6,384 13.7 Total 31,920 84,941 3523 368 120,752 26.4 Source: www.nsfaf.na 50 Annex 8: TVET Policy 2021 - Logframe Policy Objectives Strategies Activities 1. To Improve I. Realignment of Mandates (a) Conduct a national dialogue for key stakeholders to dene the roles and Governance and of Existing Agencies responsibilities of agencies Management of the (b) Review legal frameworks for the agencies TVET Sector (c) Rreview the organisational structures of agencies (d) Implement realigned mandates II. Decentralization of (a) Implement governance and management framework for Public TVET centres Governance and (b) Establish decentralized public TVET centres Management of Public TVET Centres 2. To Enhance Quality I. Continuous Professional (a) Develop standards for technical teachers and trainers and Relevance of Development (CPD) of TVET (b) Conduct training needs assessments of technical teachers and trainers TVET Programmes Practitioners (Teachers, (c) Develop and implement a continuous professional development (CPD) strategy Trainers, Management and (d) Regularly assess the skills of technical teachers and trainers Staff) II. Upgrading of Facilities and (a) Create an asset inventory at all TVET institutions Equipment at TVET Centres (b) Upgrade facilities and procure equipment (c) Review training equipment maintenance plans for TVET centres III. Developing and (a) Conduct industry technical skills needs Implementing Curricula that (b) Revise existing TVET curricula Respond to ndustry Needs (c) Harmonize TVET curricula (d) Implement revised curricula IV. Strengthening the TVET (a) Establish TVET Examination, Assessment and Certication (TEAC) unit Quality Assurance Systems (b) Develop E-learning platforms in TVET (c) Onduct regular monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in TVET V. Enhancing On-The-Job (a) Review Work-Integrated Learning framework Training Programmes (b) Implement Work-Integrated Learning Regulations 3. To Increase Access I. Harmonizing and Linking (a) Strengthening pre-vocational education in secondary schools and Equity in TVET Pre-Vocational Education (b) Strengthening relationships between schools and current VTCs and other TVET programmes with TVET institutions in the regions (c) Develop clear pathways for vertical and horizontal progression of education and training qualications on the NQF (d) Develop and publish entry requirements for TVET programmes (e) Expand the use of current clusters to link with TVET institutions (Cuban model) 51 II. Catering for Marginalized (a) Identify and prole barriers for marginalised groups and persons with disabilities Groups and persons with to access TVET programmes Disabilities to Access TVET (b) Provide facilities and infrastructure to cater for marginalized groups and persos programmes with disabilities to access TVET (c) Integrate persons with disabilities in mainstream TVET (d) Identify courses which cannot be undertaken by people with disabilities on the grounds of safety to themselves and others III. Intensifying TVET Advocacy (a) Identify and appoint TVET ambassadors (b) Conduct career guidance at schools IV. Improving E-Learning (a) Acquire relevant ICT infrastructure at TVET centres Platforms 4. To Promote I. Developing Research and (a) Participate in national conferences/ symposiums/ fora Research, Innovation Capacity in the (b) Strengthen research capacity through the NUST TVET Facility Innovation and TVET Sector (c) Establish technology business incubation centres Entrepreneurship in (d) Establish centres of excellence in TVET TVET II. Strengthen TVET (a) Consolidate TVET / MIS Management Information System (MIS) 5. To Diversify Sources I. Exploring and Facilitating (a) Develop a nance mobilization framework of Funding and Alternative Funding Sources (b) Establish a TVET training fund administration Equitable Financing (c) Disseminate and implement nancing framework of TVET Programmes II. Increasing Transparency (a) Develop processes and instruments to ensure proper and efcient use of and Accountability in nances Management of Finances III. Implementing a (a) Develop a nancing framework for TVET providers Standardized Financing (b) Develop a performance score-card for TVET providers Allocation Framework Source: MHETI. 2021. National TVET Policy. 52