The main objective of the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (WVTC) is to produce a crop of young artisans properly skilled for the market.

This was said by the manager of WVTC during a meeting with the nbc Newsroom team, which has been holding a series of meetings with institutions of higher learning and research institutions.

The nbc is conducting the meetings to broaden its base of resource persons and experts in various fields and enrich its programmes with expert knowledge.

And it was in this regard that the visit was undertaken to the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre.

With the ever-growing need for technical skills, the VTC has added new programmes to its course offerings in trades such as welding and boilermakers, fitters and turners, solar installations, information technology and communication, and electronics, among others.

There are also courses tailor-made for hearing and speech-impaired students, as well as internships for students from the Namibia University of Science and Technology studying to become instructors in vocational training.

The centre manager, Polli Andima, says that this workshop will help with the institution's entrepreneurial enhancement.

He, however, notes that he has high hopes for making the centre a polytechnical institution.

"There is currently a gap in terms of NQF-level programmes, especially with technicians, so we want to see if we cannot take technicians, who are now at levels four, five, and six, because of the gap that was left by polytech when it was transferred into a university."

A senior plumbing trainer, Salatiel Shilongo, also highlighted the significance of plumbers in the country's industrial development.

"Plumbing is really in demand since everywhere you go we have infrastructure and we need plumbers, and also for the buildings that are already there, we need maintenance for plumbing systems. The industry is too small with more plumbers."

He, however, bemoaned the lack of modern teaching equipment and machinery at the centre to be in line with what is used in the market.

"We need more advanced technology, like machinery, because the world is now going very fast, and we need machines that are more advanced to carry out our plumbing activities."

The solar installation department also demonstrated to us their newly built water geyser sample.

The centre has recently crafted a five-year strategic plan that sets out its road map.

The institution will also participate in the upcoming World Skills Competition, slated for September 25–30 in Ongwediva.