Six percent of the ||Kharas Region's population depends on farming for their livelihoods. 

The region's unemployment rate stands at 23 percent, and Governor Aletha Frederick says a shortage of vocational institutions worsens the situation. 

Frederick addressed an appraisal meeting of the Keetmanshoop Vocational Training Centre with officials from the Namibia Training Authority. 

She called on all stakeholders to ensure that the VTC centre's construction is completed on time. 

The NTA visited the region to engage the leadership on the progress in setting up the Keetmanshoop VTC, including its envisaged inauguration dates.

The Manager for Corporate Communication at NTA, Mornay Louw, reiterated that vocational studies are important for the country and that the stereotypes associated with VCT's are wrong. 

The Chairperson of VTC's operationalisation committee, Amon Haufiku, says the vocational centre is 99 percent complete and will soon be handed over. 

The Keetmanshoop Vocational Training Centre is expected to have an intake of about 650 students.