Namibians must equip themselves with skills needed for emerging industries such as nuclear energy, oil and gas, green hydrogen and critical minerals.
Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy Gaudencia Kröhne said this at the International Training College-Lingua's 25th anniversary business breakfast in Windhoek.
The celebratory business breakfast featured performances and a cake-cutting ceremony while bringing together government, education and industry leaders to discuss partnerships and collaboration for Namibia's future economy.
Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Gaudentia Kröhne, urged the country to align education with emerging sectors such as nuclear energy, oil and gas, green hydrogen and critical minerals.
She applauded ITC-Lingua's intention to introduce programmes that will prepare project managers, innovators and professionals for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
"Although we have the young population, our youth is 7% of our youth under the age of 35, and the youth must take up these opportunities and study the new skills which are upcoming in Namibia. I believe we have enough teachers and nurses. It's time to study oil and gas, nuclear, green hydrogen, and how to value the critical minerals, our minerals in Namibia."
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ingrid Kloppers-Mettler reflected on the institution's humble beginnings from her mother's house as a language centre and said that only partnerships and meaningful collaborations can make an impact on Namibia's future generation.
"If we are serious about building our biggest future, then government, industry, educational institutions and society must work together to create sustainable solutions. One of the very high-end things that private education institutions continue to face is a perception that because we are private institutions, we somehow have unlimited resources and that we are simply making money."
Meanwhile, National Council for Higher Education Executive Director Sylvia Demas stressed the need for higher education institutions to embrace digital technologies to remain relevant in a changing world of work.
"The growing recognition of digital transformation within higher education. Across the world, higher education is being shaped by technology, artificial intelligence, online learning and digital innovation. If training institutions are to remain relevant and competitive in the future economy, they need to adapt and invest in digital facilities and competencies."
The breakfast meeting formed part of ITC-Lingua's silver jubilee celebrations, highlighting the institution's contribution to skills development and its vision to help shape Namibia's future economy.