Zomba Vocational Training Center has presented diplomas to 159 young women and 29 young men who underwent various courses ranging from Community Development to Public Health Management at Zomba Vocational Training Center.
Presentation of diplomas to the 188 young men and women took place at University of Malawi’s Great Hall in Zomba where Senior Lecturer at the University of Malawi, Dr. Japhet Bakuwa advised the newly graduates to become entrepreneur and to create jobs.
He said with knowledge and skills acquired from the vocational center, the new graduates should contribute to jobs for fellow young people.
The University of Malawi Senior lecturer cautioned the graduates against corrupt practices in their prospective workplaces saying corruption is a setback to national development.
“If you get employed, avoid corrupt practices and prove that you’re people of integrity,” Dr. Bakuwa appealed to the graduates and observed that there are many well educated people in the country who are in the forefront in doing corruption.
“Malawi has many people with good education but with no integrity, they get involved in corrupt practices,” Bakuwa said, adding that corruption is counterproductive to the country’s socio-economic development.
He also advised the Zomba Vocational Training Center graduates to organize themselves in groups to access loans at the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) to start various businesses.
He therefore appealed to the government to ensure that the NEEF is flexible enough to allow graduate from vocational colleges to access loans that should enable them to become entrepreneurial.
“Let me appeal to government that it should not put barriers to graduates from university colleges or vocational colleges that may want to get loans to start businesses,” he added while commending the Zomba Vocational Training Center for complementing government effort in offering vocational education to young people.
Zomba Vocational Training Center, Executive Director, Oscar Lihoma, also called on the new graduates to use their knowledge and skills to contribute to the socio-economic development of this country by engaging themselves in various entrepreneurial activities.
Let me appeal to you young women and men to use your knowledge and skills in various entrepreneurial activities that can contribute to the development of the country,” Lihoma said.
He therefore commended the Malawi Government for creating conducive environment that allows private vocational institutions to offer vocational training.
Lihoma, however, asked TEVETA to provide good policy guidelines to private vocational colleges other than enforcing measures that have the potential to demotivate the colleges from offering quality vocational education.
The best performing student is Reuben Mitomoni who said he performed best because he put God first and had total dedication to studies.
Mitomoni said will encourage fellow graduates to venture into businesses that should create jobs to fellow young people rather that expecting to be employed by companies.
Zomba Vocational Training Center which is situated at Domasi in Zomba rural started offering various courses such as Community Development, Nutrition and Food Security, HIV and Aids Management, Public Health Management in 2009.
That’s much impressive, this will help us as youth to be self reliant and contribute more to social economic development of our country.