?The world trend nowadays is towards the increasing importance of technical, vocational education and training (TVET). Its importance is being acknowledged in the development of the world economies,? declared the minister of Education, Dharam Gokhool, at the opening of the All Africa International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA) conference held until tomorrow at Le Meridien Hotel (see inset).

This conference might be a beginning of solution to the mismatch between the education system and employers? needs. If less than 30% of those who have started school at the age of five succeed, what happens to the remaining 70%? The state may have become aware of this for a few years now, as the pre-vocational and technical fields are now part of the educational landscape.

?As it is presently, out of every 100 students joining primary level, around 35 access the upper secondary level, and only around 28 successfully complete their Higher School Certificate and only a few access tertiary education,? states the National Human Resource Development Plan, published in April by the Human Resource Development Council(HRDC). ?Ultimately, this does not allow them to become employable. This situation becomes more difficult when the education provided to the students is not relevant to the potential employers.?

Mauritius has started to look at vocational education and training more closely for the past few years but this might not be enough yet according to a recent survey by the Mauritius Employers? Federation (MEF). This report points at the difficulty of companies to find staff despite the high rate of unemployment. Hence, there is an ?urgent? need to take actions to increase the skills of those looking for a job.

Of course, obtaining a HSC or pursuing tertiary education would be the best solutions for the employers but this might include a major shift in the whole education sector and would take too long. Hence, the development of technical and vocational courses might be a more rapid solution to rising unemployment. The setting up of the empowerment programme was done with this in mind.

12 training centres in 50 fields

The private sector is showing growing interest in opening new universities thus allowing a higher number of HSC school leavers ? who can?t afford to study abroad ? to go for tertiary education. The recent inauguration of the Eastern University or the future opening of Charles Telfair Institute (renewed version of DCDM Business School) are proofs of this interest. However, some have already realised the importance of technical fields. The DCDM Business School created special courses for those with an SC more than two years ago and students then have the possibility of catching up and starting courses with Curtin University afterwards.

But the public sector has also taken some initiatives to allow those who have failed their HSC, their SC ? or even the CPE (see inset) ? to study in technical fields. The Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB), under the aegis of the ministry of Education, has trained 75,000 persons directly since its opening in 1989 through its 12 training centres in 50 different fields. Mechanics, painting, hotel industry and printing are just some of the fields offered. ?Today, the IVTB is a model of integration of education and training in practice,? said the minister at the conference.

Technical and vocational studies are not only important for those who have no formal recognition for secondary education. Students often obtain a job quicker.

However, the number of persons that have access to some of the IVTB fields is limited. The hotel industry is among them. Despite the rising need of labour in this sector, the hotel school can?t cater for all the demands and this difficulty might go on rising in the future years if nothing is done.

The tourism sector says it would need 8,000 students trained every year to face the growing demand in the coming years but the school is only able to train 2,000 at the moment. Although the IVTB director acknowledges that the hotel school is not in a position to train so many students, he makes it clear that a few initiatives of delocalisation have been taken to find a beginning of solution. Hotels themselves have started to create their own academies where the SC is not a must but which cater for all workers wishing to develop skills in the trade.

In fact, technical and vocational studies are not only important for those who have no formal recognition for secondary education. Such certificates often make it easier ? or at least quicker ? for students to obtain a job. Some who already have a university degree or diploma may now have to go for more technical studies because this is what employers really need today. ?The times of lifelong employment are gone and today, the imperative is to ensure lifelong employability. Integration of education and training is key to achieving lifelong employability (?) I firmly believe that technical and vocational education and training is as valuable and rewarding as university,? concluded minister Gokhool.

SHARE TRENDS IN TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET)

The All-Africa Technical Vocational Education and Training Conference is being held for the third time in seven years in Mauritius. The theme this year for this three-day conference is the Integration of Education and Training to achieve occupational competence for sustainable development in Africa. The conference, hosted by the IVTB, aims at bringing together professionals from around the world with a unique forum to network and share information on latest issues and trends in TVET in African countries. One of the main objectives of this conference is to see ?how general and vocational technical education in secondary and post secondary institutions can and should be linked to provide youth with broad competencies that will ensure they can continue to participate in changing economies in Africa?.

A CHANCE FOR CPE DROPOUTS

In the light of the high rate of failure at the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE), the government is giving them a second chance with a system that goes back to a few years. Each secondary school has its own prevocational field ? one class or two depending on the region where the school is located ? which pupils can attend for three years. During that time, they are not only given basic knowledge to read, write and count but they also regain confidence in themselves and in the future. After these three years, they can join the IVTB or go directly on the labour market. But seats in these classes are limited and many pupils do not manage to get in?