Increasing access to relevant skills is a reliable way to create a dependable workforce required to transform Malawi into an inclusive, self-reliant, industrialised middle-income economy by 2063. In commemoration of World Youth Skills Day on Wednesday, our Staff Writer JAMES CHAVULA engaged Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tevet) Authority director ELWIN CHIWEMBU SICHIOLA on the country’s strides to deliver skills for a vibrant economy.
How is Malawi doing in terms of access to Tevet compared with our neighbours?
We have made remarkable progress over the years, but access to Tevet remains low when compared with the better-performing countries in Southern and Eastern Africa. The country has improved substantially from its own historical position, but there is still a considerable gap with regional leaders. Currently, our annual intake into technical colleges has increased from about 1 200 trainees annually a few years ago to around 9 000 in 2025, with ambitions to reach 11 000. Community skills development centres and other informal sector training structures are training over 20 000 young people annually, significantly expanding access outside formal colleges. These are major achievements by regional standards.
Is this enough for a country that requires a skilled labour force to achieve the Malawi 2063 long-term vision?
Unfortunately, no. Malawi has a population of about 22 million and it is one of the youngest in Africa. Every year, hundreds of thousands complete primary and secondary education, but only a small proportion can enter university and only a fraction can access formal Tevet institutions. Although technical colleges enroll 10 000 to 11 000 students every year, this is only a tiny share of the potential demand. Unesco and earlier regional analyses have consistently identified Malawi as having one of the lowest levels of Tevet participation in Africa despite recent improvements.
What should the country aim for to become a low-middle-income nation by 2030 and an upper-middle-income economy by 2063?
If Malawi wants to become a middle-income industrial economy as envisioned by the Malawi 2063, Tevet access should continue to expand dramatically. A realistic medium-term ambition could include increasing formal annual enrolment to 25 000—30 000 and ensuring community skills development Centres reach over 50 000 young Malawians annually. We also need to increase private sector’s participation through apprenticeship and work-based learning, use digital and blended learning to reach underserved districts and strengthen financing through the Tevet levy and other innovative funding mechanisms. Although Malawi’s trajectory is encouraging, access is still not sufficient to meet the country’s demographic and economic needs. Continued expansion of both formal Tevet institutions and community-based skills training will be essential to produce the skilled workforce required for industrialisation and other Malawi 2063 aspirations.
What major steps are we taking so that the Malawian child does not have to migrate to South Africa—the largest job market for casual workers from our country—where busloads are fleeing xenophobic attacks?
The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Labour, Skills and Innovation and Tevet Authority have already embarked on several major reforms, including expanding training capacity. The biggest barrier to Tevet has been limited training space. Through the World Bank-supported Skills for a Vibrant Economy project, government is expanding national and community technical colleges as well as community skills development centres by constructing workshops, ICT labs, classrooms and girls’ hostels. The programme is designed to substantially increase enrolment while improving training quality. We are taking skills closer to communities. Rather than expecting every young person to attend national technical colleges, Government has expanded the network of community colleges (CTCs) and skills development centres, bringing training opportunities closer to rural communities where most young people live. The sector now has a nationwide network of public institutions, with further expansion planned. We are also partnering with private training providers. The government has launched competitive grants to strengthen community and private technical colleges. These grants finance modern equipment, new industry-driven programmes, instructor development and expanded infrastructure, enabling more institutions to enroll additional learners.
What are you doing to prepare the youth for a shared future in a fast-changing world of work?
The economy is changing rapidly and Tevet institutions must evolve with it. While traditional trades such as welding, plumbing, bricklaying, electrical installation and carpentry remain essential, they should now be complemented by emerging fields including renewable energy expertise, electric vehicle maintenance, mechatronics and industrial automation, ICT and software development, Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies, precision agriculture and agribusiness as well as mining technologies.
Training must prepare learners not only for today’s jobs but also for the jobs that will emerge over the next decade. The future labour market will reward adaptability more than routine skills. Therefore, the goal is to produce graduates who can find employment, create employment and continuously reskill throughout their careers.
What does the fast-evolving world mean for Malawi and the way you deliver skills for the youth?
For Malawi, this year’s World Youth Skills Day theme—‘Skills for a shared future” is about ensuring that Tevet supports Malawi 2063 aspirations by producing a workforce that is globally competitive, responsive to industry needs, inclusive and accessible to all. To achieve the national vision, we need a workforce that is capable of driving industrialisation and equipped to build prosperity at home while remaining competitive internationally. Ultimately, the theme reminds us that skills are not merely qualifications they are the foundation of a nation’s shared prosperity.
