The Kai ||Ganaxab Youth Skills Centre outside Mariental in the Hardap Region will offer vocational training as of next year.
This comes after the government, through the Namibia Training Authority, transformed the youth skills development centre into a fully fledged technical and vocational educational training centre at a cost of just over N$160 million.
The upgraded Kai||Ganaxab centre, one of the biggest in the country, was officially inaugurated on Friday.
The inauguration also saw the official handover of the newly constructed buildings by the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology, and Innovation and the NTA to the Ministry of Sport, Youth, and National, which is the custodian of the centre.
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Technology, and Innovation, Natalia |Goagoses, underscored government's unwavering commitment to education and youth empowerment.
"It also signifies. Progress aligned with the rationale of the Namibian Government—through the Ministry and the Namibia Trading Authority—for our country's Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) sector, which is to prioritise and invest in technical and vocational skills development that is strong and convincing and stems from the recognition of TVET as a source of skills, knowledge, and technology needed to drive productivity in knowledge-based and transitional societies for the 21st century."
|Goagoses, who was speaking on behalf of Minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi, called on the youth to become agents of change and take ownership of the space.
Taking over the management of the centre, the Minister of Sport, Youth, and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero, says the inauguration ceremony marks a milestone in youth empowerment.
"The upgrade of the Kai||Ganaxab Skills Training Centre stands as a beacon of progress assembled by our collective dedication to providing the youth with the tools they need to excel in their chosen fields."
Both Tjongarero and ||Goagoses debunked the misconception that TVET centres are for those failing to get admission to universities.
Also speaking at the occasion was NTA board member Edwin Kavita.
"Please make sure that people. I see plenty of youth. Make sure today that you are part of the intake. It is very important so that we don't have a white elephant in this institution."
Soon to be renamed, the Kai||Ganaxab Technical and Vocational Educational Training Centre offers training skills in trades in plumbing, brick-laying, wielding, ICT, tailoring, office administration, carpentry, and hospitality.
It also plans to offer a course in green hydrogen and oil discovery in the future.