The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Esperance Luvindao, says there is a need for more focus on solutions rather than making excuses or complaining. She made the remarks at a business breakfast hosted by Lingua International Training College.
The event gathered stakeholders from the public and private sectors to create partnerships in alignment with the education and economic needs.
Key discussions focused on skills development, curriculum relevance, and industry involvement in training.
The health minister highlighted the transformative power of education, urging that excuses must stop.
"Don't come to me with a problem; it doesn't help. You come with a problem, and this wasn't ordered on time, and that's why there's no medication. Well, come to me with solutions. This is not there, and this is not done, so education is crucial because it helps us do that because time and time again when you are educated, you are forced to think about different ways of approaching things."
Players in emerging sectors such as green hydrogen and renewable energy have highlighted a clear disconnect between chosen fields of study and the skills actually needed in the industry.
Joseph Mukendwa of the Green Hydrogen programme of Namibia urged institutions to focus on building a highly qualified and skilled workforce to meet the demands of these growing industries.
"We have at least another five or six within the green hydrogen space; you may have heard of Daurus, clean energy solutions, and zero innovation. You have a hyphen, so this sector is actually vibrant; it's developing, and it's happening now as we speak. So what it basically means is, as far as skills development is concerned, we need to ensure that students or youth are here to step in and contribute meaningfully."
The Founder and CEO of International Training College-Lingua, Ingrid Kloppers-Mettler, committed to ongoing engagement to transform ideas into action and promote sustainable growth through education.
"Transformation is not just a theory; it is something we live. We believe in walking the talk from establishing centres, health day care centres, hospitality and tourism centres, research centres, ECD centres and newly formed centres for education development. These are a few examples of how we align education with practical services and innovation. We are about to expand our services to underserved communities such as Usakos and Rehoboth, ensuring that overlooked communities are not left behind in Namibia. We are committed to inclusivity, relevance and impact."