Youths in Mzimba District are set to acquire vocational skills under the Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (Teveta) mobile programme.
Teveta director of training programmes Modesto Gomani launched the programme on Friday at Vibangalala in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzukuzuku in the district.
He said they want to reach out to many youths with technical and vocational skills in the district.
Said Gomani: “These mobile training programmes have been designed to cover the youth in hard-to-reach areas where there are no technical colleges to have an opportunity to enable them attain vocational and technical skills and create employment for themselves and others.
“So, we are targeting the youth from T/As Mzukuzuku, Mzikubola and M’Mbelwa to enrol with us and acquire skills in bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, tailoring and fashion design, electrical installation, cosmetology and motorcycle mechanics.”
He said the youth will be trained using a mobile van equipped with materials.
Gomani also said that plans were underway to establish a community skills development centre at Vibangalala as the demand for vocational skills was high.
T/A Mzukuzuku commended Teveta for the programme, saying he was ready to work with the authority to open a community skills development centre.
“We are grateful to Teveta for giving our youths the opportunity to acquire vocational skills because many young people are idle and some end up in early marriages or trekking to South Africa,” he said.
On his part, M’Mbelwa District Council official Shadreck Mingu said the training reflects the council’s development plans that focus on empowering the youth economically.
A youth Sarah Banda said she will acquire tailoring and fashion design skills.
“I was just staying home, but now, things will change because I will acquire vocational skills and open my own business and support myself,” she said.
