ABOUT TEVETA
Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) is a regulatory body established in July 1999 by the Act of Parliament with the mandate to create an integrated TEVET System in Malawi that is demand-driven, competency based, modular, comprehensive, accessible and flexible and consolidated enough to service both rural and urban Malawian population.
OBJECTIVES OF TEVETA
The TEVETA system has the following objectives:
- To promote an integrated, demand driven, competency based modular technical, entrepreneurial and
vocational and training system; To monitor gaps between supply and demand for skills;
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To support the adoption and application of appropriate technologies;
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To promote managerial and business skills and a spirit of entrepreneurial culture with regard to both wage and
self-employment;
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To facilitate sound and sustainable financing and funding mechanisms;
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To facilitate and bring together the expertise and moderate the different interests of the stakeholders.
And these objectives are being met through a well-coordinated programme of activities as articulated in the TEVETA Strategic Plan at the careful follow of Annual Plans.
TRAINING PROGRAMS
TEVETA has been facilitating and implementing a number of training programmes since the birth namely:
- Apprenticeship Scheme
TEVETA is implementing a reformed National Apprenticeship Scheme since 2000 in order to make it more flexible and responsive to the demands of the Labour Market. The competency based education and training (CBET) is the main feature of training methodology.
As from 2004, a total of 1362 students have been recruited into the Public and Private Technical Colleges in Malawi. The numbers would have been higher than the current standing had it not been for the limitation of space and capacity in the existing Colleges. There are only seven established, public colleges in Malawi which accommodate less that 300 students each year against an enormous demands every year.
- Private Sector Training Programme
In a bid to promote skills development at the work place, TEVETA embarks on in-house upgrading courses for all companies that pay TEVET levy through the Private Sector Training Programmes (PSTP).
Private Sector Training Programme in the TEVET System supports training needs analysis and developmet and organization of training for staff already employed in the private sector. The process has three levels namely: Training needs analysis; facilitating the development of training programmes; Upgrading, refresher and specialized training and the reimbursements of training costs.
Currently, TEVETA reimburses 33% of the total training costs incurred by the employer for approved training. In a way, this is a direct benefit to companies that are levy compliant. To date, TEVETA has facilitated this kind of training to over 45 companies, reaching over 200 employees.
- Skills Development Initiative (SDI)
Skills Development Initiative (SDI) is one of the popular programmes for the informal sector. TEVETA provides training outreach programmes to the youth in the programme in order to promote the provision of training through the enhanced Traditional Apprenticeship Scheme.
The initiative is now being implemented through some selected training providers, which are called SDI Facilitation Units. In order to make programmes easily accessible, Units are spread across the country like DAPP Mikolongwe College in the Southern Region, Don Bosco Technical College in the Central Region and St John of God in the North. Under the initiative, since the year 2000, about 2,500 people have been trained in different occupational fields such as tailoring, bakery, soap making, carpentry and bricklaying.
- Small Enterprise Development
The Small Enterprise Development (SED) is also one of the programmes addressing that strives to cater for the informal sector. It is targeting small enterprises that employ between 5 to 20 people at any time of the year. The overall goals of the project is to identify stakeholders within the SME sector and facilitates the development of strategies that would support the emergence of a more conducive business development environment for the Sector.
Under this programme, youths have learnt modern skills of making cane and bamboo furniture. Through one of the Training Centre in Blantyre called Binali Cane Furniture and Basketry, over 40 youths have received training. A sizeable number has embarked on their own enterprises.
- On-the-Job Training
TEVETA also facilitates the implementation of on-the-job training through cooperation with partner organizations that are involved in the construction of infrastructures such as schools and markets centers in the towns and Assemblies. In this programme, TEVETA attaches the youths from within the area where the project the project sites are. Provided to the youths is a modulised training. TEVETA is currently cooperating with the Department for International Development (DFID) of Britain, Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) and Secondary Centres Development Programme (SCDP). So far, over 300 youths have been trained under this programme.
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Curriculum Development and Assessment
In response to modernize technical and vocational training TEVETA, has been embarking on reviews and development of standards and curricula using CBET approach. This approach emphasizes on competency and industry provides a lead in the whole development process.
Standard Modules and Assesment Materials
| Carpentry and Joinery |
Level 1 |
| Joinery |
Level 2 -3 |
| Bricklaying |
Level 2 -3 |
| Food Production |
Level 1 -3 |
Motor Vehicle Mechanics |
Level 1 -3 |
Refrigeration and Air Condition |
Level 1 -2 |
Tailoring |
Level 1 -3 |
Welding and Fabrication |
Level 1 -3 |
- Registration and Accreditation of TEVET Providers and Trainers
The TEVETA Act gives the provision for registration and accreditation of providers and trainers to ensure quality delivery of TEVET programmes.
To date, TEVETA continues to update the Profiles of the Training Providers.
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Projects in Cooperation with Local and International Partners
TEVETA is working with its local and international development partners in the improvement of the TEVET System in Malawi. Examples of which are:
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Enhancing TEVETA Outcomes (ETO) Project
The Enhancing of TEVET Outcomes is a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded Project which was launched in August 2003 in Malawi. Its main objective is to assist Government to build capacity within the formal and informal TEVET training system, Increase effectiveness and producing highly skilled graduates who will take their place as economic developments agents.
Currently, the project has bought various pieces of technical equipment to some of the Public Colleges, relevant books for different occupations, and 20 Technical College Instructors are undergoing an intensive two-year Diploma Program in Technical and Vocational training. Ultimately, over 100 Technical College Instructors would have been trained by 2008. The partners in the project are, TEVETA, Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and Malawi Polytechnic as local Partners, amd Saskatchen Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST), Red River College, and Bow Valley College as International Canadian Partners.
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TEVETA/MACOHA/NAD Project
TEVETA, in collaboration with the Malawi Council for the Handcapped (MACOHA), through the Ministry of People living with disabilities, has secured funding form the Norwegian Association for the Disabled (NAD) to assist youths with disabilities to undergo community based vocational training. The project commenced in June 2003.
About 260 people have been trained in various skills areas and have received start-up capital. Other than offering the training to the youths, the Project also will rehabilitate Soche Technical College to a standard model College where it shall be able to accommodate youths with disabilities wishing to undergo Technical and Vocational Training.
TEVETA’s CHALLENGES
Although TEVETA has managed to implement most of the programmes planned over the years it has been operational, it had to overcome a lot of challenges in order to make an impact in the reformed Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational Education and Training in the country. Some of the crucial challenges that are yet to be surmounted to date are:
- Limited space in our existing Technical College in impedes access to Technical and Vocational Training in Malawi colleges.
- There are very few Public Technical Colleges in Malawi since the early 1960s. This challenge comes when Malawi has increased its intake at Primary level due to the birth of free education and secondary school intake as well, dwarfed by less University proportional intake.
- Most colleges have limited and outdated pieces of equipment, some of which were bought in the 1960s as well. Libraries too have outdated textbooks despite efforts to improve the sector in Malawi besides the libraries themselves providing conducive studying environment.
- Limited funding and human resources. There need for a separate framework investment in technical and vocational training in Malawi.
CONCLUSION
The establishment of TEVETA is a major reform of the Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vacational Education and Training sub-sector. Similar reforms are being undertaken in the SADC Region. This was a shift from a supply – driven to demand-driven TEVET approaches.
Most of the challenges being faced in the TEVET system shall be erased from the world of existence should all the stakeholders continue by the day working together with zeal and will in perfecting the system through consultative for a and common operational understanding with the TEVET framework.
The solace perhaps for the time being is that the challenges being faced by TEVETA in Malawi are almost similar to those of the SADC Region countries though unique from country to country. These countries are working together to share experiences in the process strategizing towards the betterment of the sound delivery of the TEVET System in the region that continuously shall keep on answering the labour market demand in the Region and even beyond.
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