Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) in collaboration with Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) and TVET stakeholders as well as Development Partners concluded a three-day retreat that took place from Thursday, 16^th to Saturday, 18^th September 2021 at Classic Lodge in Musanze District.

In his speech , the Vice Chancellor of Rwanda Polytechnic Dr.  James Gashumba said efforts in developing TVET sector are transforming Rwandan youth into competitive and skilled workforce for both regional and global labor market.

According to NST 1, TVET system is expected to absorb 60% of 9YBE leavers by 2024 and this target is at only 31.1% now (2021).

The Government of Rwanda has made an ambitious target of creating 214,000 off-farm jobs every year. This can only be achieved through skills training and support of the youth through this type of skills & innovation competition aimed at equipping young men and women with competitive and employable hands-on skills.

The retreat reviewed the key considerations for effective coordination of TVET Development Partners and discussed about strategies that could be used in TVET Expansion Plan to absorb 60% of 9YBE graduates, TVET Financing Model, National TVET awareness Campaign and others

After a number of presentations and discussions, the following resolutions were adopted.

1. Conduct TVET awareness campaigns targeting more private sector involvement in WPL, more female students enrolment and better parents perception towards TVET.
2. Establish guidelines and mechanisms for effective coordination of DPs interventions that avoid duplication of efforts and ensure their alignment with national development agenda.
3. Support the development of E-learning platforms in TVET and train the trainers on their use.
4. Increase interventions to support the development of ICT infrastructure in TVET and spearhead the digitization process of training manuals.
5. . Strengthen the collaboration between training providers and private sector  business owners in the implementation of WPL.

6. Support TVET expansion plan in school construction, workshops and laboratories’ equipment in line with NST I target for enrolling 60% of 9YBE leavers into TVET.

7. Speed up the development all required TVET curricula and align them to the labour market needs and explore the relevance of different TVET training using the value chain approach

 8. Enhance internal capacity of new institutions by involving staff in defining their strategic orientations.

9. Support TVET institutions to participate in organized events for Africa and regional integration to foster the compliance with international and regional TVET standards.

10. Collaborate with other institution s like MINICOM, PSF, RDB-CSO to have a harmonized and comprehensive (Value Chain based) skills development offer

11. Revise the RTB and RP strategic plans to set up realistic and achievable targets

12. Align all stakeholders’ interventions to the TVET targets stipulated in NST1 with an aspiration to achieve these targets within the next 2 year till the end of NST1

13. Promote the establishment of centers of excellences in different District (One per District) to support them to deliver a high quality TVET training.

14. Establishment of a diversified TVET Financing mechanism through  institutionalization of the proposed National Fund for TVET Development  NFTD to give the flow to different stakeholders to play their role in skills development system.

In her closing remarks, the Minister of State in Charge of ICT and TVET, Hon. Claudette IRERE thanked stakeholders and Development Partners for their contribution to TVET Sector development and urged Private Sector to engage in TVET.