Vocational training opens doors for learners with disabilities

Pre-vocational skills programme gains momentum
A total of 443 learners have graduated from Namibia’s Certificate in Basic Pre-Vocational Skills programme, as education officials and leaders call for stronger recognition of vocational training as a pathway to employment and inclusion.
Ndapandula Lilonga
  • 1 Day Ago

A total of 443 learners have graduated from the Certificate in Basic Pre-Vocational Skills (CBPVS) programme during a ceremony held at Augustineum Secondary School in Windhoek last week.


The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC) through the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED), and provides learners with practical vocational and life skills training.


Training areas include bricklaying, plumbing, woodwork, office practice, food preparation, housekeeping, educare, fashion and clothing.


Accredited at Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) Level 1, the two-year programme was introduced following a review of the special education curriculum aimed at strengthening inclusive education and improving opportunities for learners with special educational needs and disabilities.


Call to strengthen vocational education


Vice President Lucia Witbooi delivered the keynote address and called for stronger support for vocational education, saying skills training is a key tool in addressing unemployment and expanding opportunities for young people with disabilities.


“As a nation, we must continue changing perceptions surrounding vocational education and training,” she said. “We must encourage our young people to explore this sector, which provides direct pathways to employment by equipping students with specialised, hands-on skills.”


Witbooi described the graduation as a significant milestone for Namibia’s inclusive education efforts, particularly for learners who face barriers to further education and employment.


She said vocational programmes such as CBPVS show that success should not only be measured through academic performance, but also through practical skills that enable financial independence. “Do not wait for opportunities; create them,” she told graduates. “Start small, think big, work hard, collaborate with others, and believe in yourselves.”


Personal impact


One of the graduates, 33-year-old Selma Andreas, who trained in food preparation, said the programme had given her confidence to pursue her goal of starting a catering business despite growing up with a hearing impairment.


“Before joining the programme, I was scared about my future because many people think learners with disabilities cannot work,” she said. “Now I have skills, and I want to become independent and support my family.”


Education analyst Hamilton David Hamilton said vocational training could help close long-standing gaps in Namibia’s education and labour market systems. “For years, learners with disabilities have been overlooked when it comes to economic participation,” he said.


“Programmes like these help restore dignity and give young people practical opportunities to contribute meaningfully to society.”


He cautioned, however, that training alone would not reduce unemployment unless government and the private sector created clearer pathways into jobs, internships and entrepreneurship.


Since its introduction in 2019, the Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment has issued 696 CBPVS certificates, including the 443 awarded this year.


The first cohort of 70 learners graduated in 2024, marking steady growth in participation in the programme.