KEETMANSHOOP: The Director of the Southern Cross for Human Capital Management Centre here, Maureen Hinda says there is a serious need for another vocational centre in the Karas Region.
The Southern Cross centre offers courses such as hospitality and tourism, and also does placements for their students into vocational institutions in the country upon completion of their courses.
Speaking to Nampa on Thursday, Hinda proposed that the Ministry of Education (MoE) should consider bringing another vocational school to Keetmanshoop because a lot of young people here need it.
She said the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) here offers mostly mining courses, hence the need for another institution to cater for other vocational courses such as catering, needlework and craft.
“A lot of our young people here who fail Grades 10 and 12 are sitting at home, because if they cannot go for open learning, then there are no other options.
I, therefore, think that a vocational training centre is crucial here to absorb such students,” Hinda suggested.
The director said she just wants to ensure that students have a chance to study and achieve their dreams, regardless of what marks they had achieved in their examinations.
“I know of a girl who fell pregnant in Grade Eight and lost her parents, but now wants to gain skills and start a career without going back to school. But I do not even know how to advise her, because skills’ training in the country requires Grades 10 and 12”, she noted.
Some of the Grade 10 and Grade 12 drop-outs who studied hospitality, tourism and office administration at Southern Cross have now managed to get jobs in the region with the Level Two certificates they obtained.
“To me, that is a big achievement because we managed to change people’s lives, and we will continue to do that. But I hope there will be another bigger institution to give higher qualifications,” said Hinda.
Students from this southern region also face accommodation and financial problems when they want to study in the capital Windhoek or other regions.
“Twelve of my students could not take up their job placements in Windhoek this year because of a lack of accommodation there. Now I have 60 who are finishing exams this week, and I am just hoping that they will get accommodation once we secure placements for them,” she added.
Southern Cross was started in November 2009 to give young people in Namibia a chance to achieve their dreams through gaining practical skills to get employment and/or opportunities for further studies.
This year, the college has enrolled a total of 70 students.