CCMIA401 - INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT OROGRAM
Introduction
Skills are essential for the development of Rwanda. Numerous analytical reports and policy documents, for example the Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS), have identified the shortage of relevant skills as a major impediment to economic growth and competitiveness.
Tertiary education institutions focus to a larger extend on professional career development. These include universities, polytechnics, teachers’ colleges, vocational training centers and agricultural colleges to mention some. The institutions can be either government (public) or privately owned.
Graduates from the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system and from higher education lack practical skills and important core skills like communication, positive work habits, team work, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work independently, flexibly and innovatively responding to customer needs and a business environment.
The institutions focus mainly on professional training using various methodologies for effective with an array of training methodologies available in higher and tertiary education institutions, the Industrial Attachment Programme (IAP) is gaining momentum over others and is becoming an inevitable training methodology as Edziwa and Chivheya (2015); Mukabeta and Taruvinga (2001) denote.
With respect to new labour market entrants, it is a major challenge of the education and training system that learning is theory-based and that learning outcomes are mostly not aligned with the needs of the labour market. Graduates from the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system and from higher education lack practical skills and important core skills like communication, positive work habits, team work, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work independently, flexibly and innovatively responding to customer needs and a business environment. These skills are also essential to enable the Rwandan youth to find employment or venture into self-employment.