“It goes without saying skilled task force is much needed in the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTPII). In an evolutionary move, taking on board all our satellite centers across the country, we have been working hard to buoy up the student intake capacity of the Institute which was around 600 in 2004 E.C to 11,000 in the ensued academic year,” so remarked Sahleselassie Teka, Director General of The Federal Technical Vocational Education and Training Institute.
He told Herald that this is really a big achievement. In fact, there was no stone we left unturned to reach where we are at this point in time. If the Institute, the first of its kind in Ethiopia, presses ahead with this fashion, it can help take the agriculture-led economy to industry-driven one with no trouble.
He said aside from building the implementation capacity of the technical and vocational education and training sector, it as well aims at supporting technological transfer that would enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the country’s industry and in particular micro and small enterprises and reinforcing result-oriented technician and vocational education and training system. Effective research undertaking is the Institute’s salient approach.
He also said later, we kept on designing strategies which could allow the Institute to increase its students intake capacity as per the direction set in (GTPII) and thus we began to strive towards achieving the intended target shortly. Currently, we provide a broad-array of courses, among others, information, electrical, automotive, manufacturing, garment, textile, building construction, road construction, water works construction, architectural design, surveying and wood technology. The Institute as well offers M.A courses in TVET Leadership and Management.
He went on to say “Graduates from Micro and Small Scale Industry play a great role in the various industries mushrooming across the country. Observing facts on the ground, I have every reason to claim graduates from vocational and technical school play a major role in taking the various industries to a new level of accomplishment. When we see the situation in terms of quality, there are gaps to be bridged. As there are a number of ongoing Mega Projects, Road Constructions works and other related development activities in every corner of the country, the number of educated manpower from Vocational and Technical Schools should increase from time to time.”
He also mentioned offering an internationally accepted undergraduate, post graduate and short term training to teachers in the sector, technicians and leaders is the vision that brought the Institute into Life.
Mekuria Nigatu, Public Relations Directorate Director Institute on his part said ” The institution is working hard towards ensuring the country’s leap towards industrialization. The main target of the institution is churning out a number of technologists that joins the workforce towards the country’s Renaissance. As the institute does not have ample instructors, we invite instructors from various corners of the world such as China, Philippines and the like,” He also said to make the country’s ambitious growth dream become a reality, it needs to churn out adequate amount of teachers who are able to produce competent teachers in degree and masters program apart from producing leaders for the different polytechnic schools dotting diffrent states of the country. The intended target of the Institute is producing trainers who can teach in the different Vocational Institutes of the country.
” Day in and day out, staffers work to emerge shoulder high in the continent then to prove competitive in the global arena. Hence, the institute has been multiplying over the number of professionals it churns out in various fields of studies since 2004 EC. I do hope if we keep on moving in this we shall meet the country’s demand for skilled manpower.”
It was learnt that the Institute, among others, has the powers and duties to: Design and implement undergraduate and post graduate higher education programs for technical and vocational education and training teachers,
Offer higher level theoretical and practical training to those engaged in various technical and vocational educations and training institutions
Provide short term training and consultancy services with a view to improving the quality of technical and vocational education and training delivery.