By: Nghiinomenwa-vali Hangala
The 26 trainee graduates from NamPower Vocational Training Centre will go through another three-year artisan development programme.
The power utility confirmed this with The Villager last week after the graduation ceremony.
NamPower has graduated 19 males and 5 females in Mechanical Engineering (Fitting and Turning) and Electrical Engineering (Electrical General).
Since the country is battling with an industrial and training gap, where graduates often lack practical experience, NamPower has opted to equip their graduates with another practical phase.
The 26 vocational graduates will be placed under a three-year artisan development programme to gain paid practical experience. This will equip them with substantive practical experience to utilise upon joining the job market or pursuing entrepreneurial endeavours.
During the three-year programme, NamPower has also indicated that the students can apply elsewhere for jobs.
“While on the three-year programme, they are open to apply for any open vacancies that come up,” the utility confirmed.
NamPower also has one of the biggest budgets for procurement, with most of it relating to goods and services for power generation. The utility was quizzed on whether it would give privileges to its graduates/former students who started businesses.
The utility shared that “there is no tailor-made programme for NamPower students who want to start businesses. However, they are free, like any other Namibian, to apply for NamPower tenders that they might qualify for or are responsive to.”
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, NamPower Managing Director, Kahenge Haulofu, said the utility prides itself in capacity-building and upskilling young people on the latest technologies to ensure security of supply for the continuous improvement of the nation.
This is in tandem with global developmental goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, which call for action to address pressing global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
Haulofu encouraged the graduates to think about entrepreneurship and job creation options with their newly acquired skills.
“We should move towards empowering ourselves, as well as others, through the creation of businesses, as opposed to traditional job-hunting or waiting for the government to create jobs for us,” he encouraged.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Namibia Training Authority general manager for TVET Regulation, Tobias Nambala, indicated that the graduation represents far more than the acquisition of technical skills.
“It is the shaping of capable hands, disciplined minds, and responsible citizens. It is about learning to build, to fix, to innovate, and ultimately, to serve,” he said.
Nambala explained that in a world increasingly shaped by technological advancement and industrial transformation, TVET stands as a pillar of relevance and resilience.
It also ensures that what is learned is not abstract, but applicable — “…not theoretical alone, but practical and TVET empowers individuals not only to seek employment, but to create it. It instills self-reliance, problem-solving ability, and the confidence to take initiative,” added Nambala.
In the context of Namibia, Nambala noted that TVET plays a central role in addressing critical skills needs across sectors that sustain and grow our economy — energy, construction, manufacturing, and beyond.
“These are not abstract sectors; they are the backbone of our nation’s progress,” he said.
In this regard, he assured that NTA will continue to be the driving force in strengthening the TVET sector through funding, regulation, and strategic partnerships.
Through the National Training Fund (VET Training Levy), the authority invests directly in skills development, supports access to quality training (VTC regional presence), and ensures programmes remain aligned to industry needs.
erastus@thevillager.com.na
