THE objective of the Human Resources Development bill is to ensure that the local workforce benefits from adequate and recognised training in order to meet the exigencies of a diversifying economy, now more oriented towards information and communications technologies.

At first sight, the voting of this bill in the National Assembly should be considered as a decisive step of government to put some order in the way training is imparted to the country. It is clearly evidenced that there is a mushroom effect taking place in the education and training sector where more than 200 institutions provide a variety of training programmes. What seems attractive in the advertisements in newspapers is that almost all the training programmes appear to be MQA approved, making it known that most of the training is officially recognised and worth its value.

There should be some difference made between what one would call a national training framework and training tactics. It looks like training tactics are being developed on a day-to-day basis while they do not necessarily fit into the training strategy that the government would propose. In a democratic environment, most organisations providing training do so at their own will by paying attention more to the profit motive than to the value of the training programme to society.

We are all convinced that it is urgent to have a trained workforce. As the country consolidates its industrial infrastructure and shifts gradually to the information and communications technology sector, trained people become the vital tool that will help Mauritius step into its long-awaited second phase of industrialisation. It is interesting to point out here the increasing need for more diploma and degree holders in the economy. Such a potential workforce can help in changing the way things are done and ensure that the national training philosophy pushes the country forward to success.

In line with the national training framework, the number of graduates has increased substantially over the years and these qualified people come from the University of Mauritius, foreign universities including a sizeable number of graduates earning qualifications through distance learning. Government policy since the 1990s has been to increase the ratio of graduates so that the proportion aligns with what emerging economies like Malaysia and Singapore seem to have achieved. With this perspective in mind, Mauritius could be in a better position to catch up with the South-East Asian tigers, even if this still remains a utopia.

It is now admitted that the unemployment rate will exceed 10% and measures to overcome the problem have not been too satisfactory. There is the belief that the opening of the cyber city will create job opportunities in the same way as the integrated development of certain regions in the south of Mauritius. All these are openings for the unemployed but little is said about those who will join in as future employees. What is observed elsewhere is that low-paid jobs are advertised to a larger extent than executive positions. Take as example job opportunities in Dubai. The main positions required in hotel resorts are operative level jobs like cook, waiter, receptionist, among others.

It looks like Mauritius may not be prepared to become an advanced economy in a near future taking into consideration factors like international competition, the global economy but, more importantly, our limited local and natural resources. In general, the economy still heavily depends on sugar and textile production. The financial sector, though fast developing, is still a matter of a handful of businesses while tourism caters more for operatives than graduates. Can it be assumed that the ICT sector will absorb all the qualified graduates?

Downward stretch in training

It is more sensible to think in terms of the technical workforce and the need to reinforce the idea that there should be a downward stretch in national training strategy. Let us first consider operatives in the textile sector. Taking into consideration that they are still largely inadequately qualified, it is important to have them trained first. The IVTB has made a good attempt to develop training and certifying programmes as NTC 1, 2 and 3 in line with the Scottish Vocational Qualifications standard. This blends a little academic with vocational training because it is unfair to consider that one who has not passed School Certificate as a failed citizen or worse, one who has not secured passes in Mathematics or English at ?O? Level as the ?laissés-pour-compte? of society. It is very reassuring that NTC certificates achieved through training and experience need to be considered as equivalent or even better than academic qualifications. A true appraisal and accreditation of vocational qualifications would incite more people at operative level to learn new skills and acquire job-relevant knowledge.

The development of middle management level occupations and the need for technicians have certain advantages. For example, technicians are those who can accelerate the development of the country in the long run. Technically qualified people are not generalists but adequately skilled in their particular jobs. Next, technicians are the interface between operatives and management and they can both handle simple and complex jobs provided that these are within their capabilities. Third, technicians are less paid than executives but can be effective in carrying out challenging tasks that management cannot alone handle.

To envisage a better hope for employment and a better ?canalisation de ressources?, Mauritius will, for still a long time, need trained operatives and technicians. The success of ICT will depend largely on data-input operators and programmers; an eventual light-rail system will require a large number of technicians both at the mechanical and technical level. Key sectors of the economy like the postal services, the services sector and the production counterpart, among others will still bet on technical skills and expertise.

It is not hereby assumed that Mauritius only needs technicians and no more people at strategic level. It would be however rewarding to see that certificates and diplomas, usually achievable in a shorter term than degrees, regain their value and that no imbalance is created where genuine technicians are downgraded and considered less worthy with a technical certificate. Indeed, this is what a developing economy badly needs and what the country?s performance at the international level justly reflects.

Nirmal Kumar Betchoo

There should be some difference made between what one would call a national training framework and training tactics. It looks like training tactics are being developed on a day-to-day basis while they do not necessarily fit into the training strategy that the government would propose.