Kigali: on 7^th February 2022, Rwanda Polytechnic in collaboration with Rwanda TVET Board launched TVET Public Awareness Campaign and had an objective of rebranding TVET and change its Perception to contribute to the GoR aspiration of increasing the number of O’ Level/ 9YBE graduates joining TVET from the current 31% up to 60%.

In her Welcoming remarks, The Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Training Institutional Development & Research, Dr. Sylvie Mucyo said “This campaign requires strong partnership between TVET institutions, private sector and other stakeholders to work together to change TVET Perception”. She further stressed that future jobs are for those who join TVET and this will contribute to their personal development and national economic development.

She also said that TVET is not only Carpentry, Welding, Mechanical engineering, Construction, Tailoring, Hospitality Management and Tourism but also there are many others to be started in Rwanda Polytechnic such as Aircraft maintenance, Airport and Airline Management, Transport and logistics and Railway Engineering.

The Vice Chancellor of Rwanda Polytechnic Dr. James Gashumba said measures should be taken and partnership among different institutions and partners is needed to drive away the negative perception about TVET and make more attractive especially to young Rwandans People.

He said that “In Rwanda, we used to look down TVET Schools where students strive for going to Universities and those who don’t have chance to attend universities, they prefer to go to TVET Schools, but it is wrong perception and added that no country can reach to the development without having many people who attend TVET Schools”.

He further expressed that, in developing countries, people who have a better life, rich, good houses and cars are those who have attended TVET Schools. He added that providing a quality education is an advantage to achieve to Government’s target to reach to 60% of students who join TVET and make beneficiary to acquire skills required to create jobs and compete on the labor market.

This campaign will be done in the whole country and will be done through promoting TVET system in Rwanda, sensitize students of O’ Level/ 9YBE as well as their parents to join TVET and establishment of strong partnership between TVET schools and key stakeholders. There will be also interacting meetings with people in charge of education, from districts to sectors, youth and women representatives and meet students from different schools and share with them all opportunities in TVET.

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