Stakeholders in the Erongo Region have called for the inclusion of the creative arts and crafts industry in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).

The founder of the popular liberation struggle band Ndilimani says the creative arts and crafts industry has been excluded from TVET despite its proven benefits.

At a consultation with stakeholders, Banana Shekupe revealed that young people can become professionals in the sector if an arts and crafts curriculum is developed.

"This is the work I'm doing in Windhoek, and a lot of these young people are not working, so I am training them with the aim of becoming professional dancers and also aiming to take them to Europe. I want to do this at schools, but there is no open door to doing this at schools. I have tried many times: go here, write a letter, do what? There is a lot of bureaucracy, and as an artist, I don't have time for that. I will just leave."

The governor expanded on the issue and said the industry is underrated.

The Erongo Governor, Neville Andre, says, "We overlook it, and we say that creative industries must only come from people who have a passion for them, and they do not need to be trained, but creative industries also sell our country to the world at large, and we need to help them to be trained."

"In many cases, our students are left without funding, and as we say, this industry is still developing and there is not much support, so I appeal to the NTA to come on board and enable them to bring us under their wings by assisting our students to be able to access funding," says TVET stakeholder Joram Shifa.

"We have a college of arts in Windhoek that produces students who are very competent in the arts, but yet they are still in the streets without any employment. If we can have those ones and get them employed in the schools, we are going to have a large number of artists in our country, but because they are not being supported, their talents and dreams are dying a silent death," says Jonas Shikolaye, a TVET stakeholder.

The Namibia Training Authority is consulting the regions to recommend an inclusive and national TVET training structure.