CHINA TO AID CONSTRUCTION OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES

Speaking with the Goodall Gondwe, Finance Minister on Friday the Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Zhang Qingyang emphasized that Malawi’s poverty reduction campaign could be accelerated if the country were to engage in extra gear in the provision of vocational training.

Qingyang noted that the county’s population is youthful; hence technical skills development of the youths would create more entrepreneurs.

The Chinese Government is expected to send in experts to conduct feasibility studies on the construction of more technical colleges, Mzuzu youth center inclusive.

Adding on, he acknowledged government’s initiative of establishing technical colleges, as it proposed to the Chinese government through the visiting Minister of commerce in April the previous year, a development, which he said, will lead to self dependency in youths.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Development, Henry Mussa said the Chinese Government’s response is exciting as the construction of the technical colleges will complement government’s efforts of skills development.

He said other donors such as the World Bank, the European Union are also making huge contributions towards the skills development.

“We are getting exciting support from our development partners and the support from China is exciting because they will not just construct the colleges but also provide equipment expertise,” said Mussa.

Government launched an ambitious programme to construct rural based technical colleges that should be accessed by the youths who have no chance of tertiary education.

Some colleges have already been opened and various donors are expected to support construction and rehabilitation of national and community colleges to provide more access by the youths.