The government intends to convert Community Skills Development Centres (CSDCs) into comprehensive community colleges. This transformation plan was announced by Minister of Labour, Agnes NyaLonje, during the launch of the $15 million Skills for a Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Competitive Grants Scheme in Kasungu on Friday.
The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance access to high-quality technical, entrepreneurial, and vocational education and training (Tevet). Minister NyaLonje highlighted that certain districts, including Kasungu, lack technical colleges, thus making the upgrading of CSDCs to full-fledged community colleges a viable solution.
Said the minister: “It is the wish of the government to ensure that Malawians, especially the youths have access to quality technical and vocational training.”
Government through Tevet Authority has received $33 million from the World Bank of which $15million has been directed towards the Competitive Grant Scheme where technical and vocational training institutions are expected to sell their ideas through proposals to be considered for funding under the scheme.
In the first round of the scheme, 15 institutions both private and public have been awarded grants averaging $500,000 each.
“These funds shall help community technical colleges, CSDCs and private technical colleges to expand their available training space and increase access to their services, particularly for females and vulnerable youths,” NyaLonje said.
Tevet Authority Director of Finance, Sara Zgambo, said the competitive grant scheme is in many ways a game changer for the country which requires the development of skilled technical workforce to achieve an industrialised nation envisioned in the Malawi 2063.
The 15 awardees include five private colleges namely Solar Energy and Ecology Institute, Phwezi Women Training Centre, SOS Vocational Training Centre, Miracle and Andiamo Technical Colleges while government institutions include MACOHA Vocational Training Centre, Kasama, Ezondweni and Kapondo colleges. Sonda, Mbulunji, Ntchisi, Mthiransembe and Kasungu are the five winning CSDCs.
