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By: Alieu Jallow
Technical, Vocational, Education Training (TVET) Centres in the Gambia are on the brink of death if rescue is not fetched to give life back to these institutions that has contributed immensely towards the social, financial and educational development of this country.
Speaking at a press briefing, the president of the National Association for Vocational Training (NAVET) Institutes, Mr. Abdoulie Sowe indicated that TVET centres in the country are left wondering in the wilderness since the advent of the novel coronavirus pandemic by the government of the Gambia. This, he said has threatened their survival amid lack of bailed out package and they are now on the brink of death and buried.
Mr. Mohammed Fofana the Secretary General of NAVET expresses dismay and said they were shunned by the government for six months whiles they eased restrictions on other institutions to operate without considering them.
“Most of our institutions are struggling to pay salaries for their staff including other overhead expenses and an eviction notice from the landlord’
Mr. Fofana also accused government of negligence and unfairness by denying them support whiles institutions like the University of the Gambia, Gambia College and Management Development Institute (MDI) were given support packages.
At the end of the press conference held today 22nd September at Lasting Solutions Bureau along Kairaba Avenue, NAVET urgently urged the government to implement two main demands to:
- Open training centres with immediate effects with observation of the MOH safety guidelines.
- To support training centres by paying salaries, rent and other operations for the past six months.
Training centres in the Gambia trained over 60% of youth in country therein contributing to both human and national development as well resource mobilisation which generates labour market in all government sectors.