Actors in education sector of Rwanda have shed lights on importance for students pursuing Technical and vocational Education Trainings (TVET) and significant strides achieved in piling participation of enthusiasts joining the technical education.

The underscores were highlighted during the “Open Day”, or an “Exhibition day” organized by World mission High school, a prominent private TVET school located in Kinyinya, Gasabo district.

According to the school, the occasional day was slated in alignment with the government program for TVET schools to organize an exhibition day for showcasing student’s practical knowledge obtained from TVET. Besides, the day aimed to emphasize students and parents on picking interests in participating in TVET schools and stretching the message and awareness to parents and aspiring during holidays.

“We also conducted outreaches campaigns in schools, particularly for students of ordinary levels where our students did presentations of their knowledge to other students all intended to encourage students to pick interests in pursuing TVET upon completing Ordinary level”. Said Innocent Rukundo, the school principal.

He stressed that technical education is critical for the country’s development given that different sectors are in need of specialized technicians in various works.

According to him, there is an absolute demand of technicians at different workplace as the majority of students who graduated from the TVET schools have been hired in different employments.

“We recommend our students of all programs we teach to internships at each level. Companies start eying on their expertise earlier while at school and sometimes, they could often be hired by the companies”. Said the principal and assuring that they expect no traffic in the job market as the more the country develops the more the demand for technicians increases

“what we critically do is teaching updated technologies and encourage students to create innovations”.

Jille Irasubiza, a software development student at World Mission High School said that pursuing technical studies equal to finding solutions to challenges affecting the communities. As an enthusiast in software development, he is working on a software project named “MyStock”, which he says it aims to help people especially traders in monitoring their stock easily.

“I learnt that some traders currently have a challenge of managing and monitoring their stocks especially when there not physically present in the business. They sometimes encounter theft cases when they hire disloyal employers in the business because it becomes very difficult to determine which goods entered the stock and what left it. Fortunately, I am building an app which will help them to determine information about their stock, even remotely using the mobile phones”. He said.

He additionally said that the App will support with eliminating tax evasion offences as it will be connected to the tax collection agency, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).

“I also learnt that some traders underpay tax to RRA and lie about their stock. My App will help the tax collectors to know the stock of a given trader and know the amount tax he should pay corresponding to his stock”.

According to Gasabo District Education Officer, Adelphine Uwase, there was different misconceptions about TVET schools all over the country when initially introduced. Many parents thought that TVET meant for failed students who do not have other choices for option to pursue. However, the misconnection was lessened following different awareness campaigned conducted and presentation of proofs.

“Many students used to scramble for these ordinary options and mostly they could end up losing employment. We found that different jobs that are being created need technicians in the operations and we leant that technicians can create further jobs for their innovations. That’s why we invested more efforts in promoting TVET schools in all parts of the country”.

She stressed that there are a critical potentials and requirement of technical education as the country is witnessing growth of technology and industrialization which need enormously technicians.

According to reports, in the last couple of years, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) have been an important component within the government policy to end poverty. A reform of the TVET sector has been approved in 2008 (WDA, 2019). According to MINEDUC, different providers at various qualification levels have delivered TVET in Rwanda. Technical education is offered at the upper secondary school level; both by public schools under the Ministry in charge of education and by private schools and those belonging to faith-based organizations.

“TVET is vital for technological progress, rapid industrialization as well as wealth creation, and poverty reduction. TVET plays an important role to catalyze Rwanda’s socioeconomic development more effectively by developing a responsive and increasingly vibrant labor market” reads 2021 report by Transparency International Rwanda.