Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary, Thabo Kawana has reiterated governments commitment to supporting skills development through various skills initiatives.
Mr Kawana said the government remains committed to supporting skills development through various initiatives such as TEVET Skills Development Fund and the bursaries component of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
He charged that human and social development is fundamental to inclusive development and is a catalyst ingredient to the transformation of the country.
Mr Kawana was speaking yesterday after touring the Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre (KGRTC) where Centre for Sustainable Democracy and Governance (CSDG) publicly announced its commitment to adequately participate and respond to the challenge of building the capacity of the workforce in Zambia in partnership with the government.
He explained that the government has demonstrated commitment in skills development by consistently providing funds intended to invest in relevant workforce development in collaboration with industry, saying proceeds from the skills development levy are vital enablers in meeting the skills needs of industry for increased productivity.
“As government, we are delighted to see partners such as CSDG collaborating with KGRTC. Such collaborations based on the Public Private Partnerships model enable the government to deliver services and leverage resources and expertise of the private sector,” he said.
He called upon the local government and other institutions to collaborate with KGRTC in developing effective and efficient systems that meet the needs of the people.
“The work that KGRTC is doing therefore, plays an important role in helping the government reach its developmental objectives as outlined in the Eight National Development Plan. If the country is to achieve its development goals, human capital development should be at the heart of its efforts,” he added.
Mr Kwana pointed out that as a country, Zambia is privileged to host a centre of excellence as recognised by TEVET, SADC and Association of Power Utilities in Africa (APUA) and urged the public to utilise the training centre in their quest to improve the performance of their employees.
“I have been informed that in 2023, KGRTC trained a total of 1,179 course participants, broken down into 269 females and 910 males, from the 112 training sessions that they trained. KGRTC has proved the capability to provide short intensive training programmes to meet the training needs of industry,” he added.
And KGRTC Chief Executive Officer, Davis Chinkusu said the centre is mandated to contribute to the energy security in the SADC region and the entire sub Saharan Africa by providing energy skills which in turn improve their economies.
Mr Chinkusu said the centre is available to provide solutions to the country through capacity building.
He also disclosed that the centre is currently implementing a US$3million project called the Skills for Energy in Southern Africa (SESA) adding that 531 participants have so far been trained under this project.
He explained that the International Labour Organization (ILO), with funding provided by the government of Sweden, is supporting KGRTC to implement the SESA Project.
“This is a three-and-a-half-year intervention with the overall development objective of increasing the uptake of renewable energy, energy efficiency and regional energy integration through skills development in Zambia and the SADC region,” he said.
He said the project is expected to strengthen KGRTC’s capacity as a Centre of Excellence for energy training in the region and significantly increase the number of power technicians, engineers and managers that are skilled in renewable energy, energy efficiency and regional energy integration adding that the project will be implemented through a Public Private Public Development Partnership (PPDP) approach.
Meanwhile, CSDG Executive Director, Caroline Katotobwe observed that it is evident that the energy landscape is undergoing significant transformation driven by the urgent need for efficient energy renewable sources and advancement in technology in the face of climate change which presents an unprecedented challenge to Zambia’s energy sector.
“The role of capacity building in this context cannot be overstated. It is imperative that we equip our workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate these challenges,” added Ms Katotobwe.
She said CSDG is fully committed to fostering networks and synergies that will enhance collaborations among stakeholders in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, Chikankata District Commissioner, Timothy Chipolyonga said at a time when the country is undergoing enormous changes in the energy sector due to climate change, it is timely that the nation equips its manpower with necessary skills to handle challenges that lay ahead, adding that KGRTC is well positioned for capacity building in transforming the energy sector.
