English, featured, Ibikorwa|March 15, 2013 5:36 am

SDF winners begin implementing TVET

Alphonsine Niyigena of UBA after signing a contract with the director general of WDA

Seventeen winners of the first round of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) grants awarded through the World Bank have signed agreements enabling them to start the implementation of TVET the way they understand it.

According to the state minister in charge of TVET Albert Nsengiyumva, this step is a clear signal that indicates how TVET is considered by the Rwandan government as one of the major priorities for economic growth.

The grant winners are; Mpanda VTC, Karengera VTC, Ndendezi VTC, Mugusa VTC, ETAG VTC, Inyemeramihigo VTC, Rise to Shine , VISDAPOC, Jill Barham, Rwabuye VTC, Universal Beauty Academy, BELASI saloon school, CODUSI cooperative, APEESDE, ASSIST Rwanda, Kayonza VTC and ADENYA. Winners came from 15 different districts, from all the provinces of Rwanda and Kigali City.

Due to the existence of skills gap in the labour force, Minister Albert Nsengiyumva emphasized the need to provide quality education by the grant winners and ensuring that their graduates have a great impact in skills development in the country.

World Bank representative Helen Craig said that the award of these grants is an opportunity for innovations, competition and collaboration between firms and training providers to create access for training more people as possible.

The grant was provided under the Skills Development Project (SDP), which is being implemented by the Workforce Development Authority (WDA).

It is worth $34.5 million, with $30 Million as a Credit from the World Bank and $4.5 Million as counterpart funding from the Government of Rwanda.

The director general of WDA Jerome Gasana says that this project is intended to speed up the number of people benefiting from TVET to meet labour market demands with relevant skills in service delivery.

The SDP is composed of three main components; Delivery of Quality and Relevant Vocational Training, TVET System Strengthening and Rapid skills delivery.

Wilson Muyenzi the SDP Manager stressed that priority sectors of the economy will continue to be embarked on in implementing this project.

These include construction and building, Hospitality & Tourism, Agriculture & Food processing, Technical servicing & assembling, ICT, manufacturing, clean & sustainable energy, mining & mineral processing, water resources, Film making to mention but a few.

One of the beneficiaries from the SDF grant Alphonsine Niyigena, a private owner of a hair dressing academy in Kigali (Universal Beauty Academy -UBA) , appreciated the grant and called for another fund to support underprivileged people to access training.

A second call for proposals was launched in December 2012 and the second round winners are expected to be announced in early May 2013.