Students graduate without gaining technical experience
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
FRANCISTOWN: Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) officials have attributed the skills mismatch that is encountered in many sectors locally to institutions that do not have mandatory internship in their programs.
Director, Human Resource Development Student Planning (HRDP) Dr Ellah Matshediso revealed this when reflecting on the previous and the upcoming Botswana Human Resource Development Skills (BHRSDS) fair and clinic. She pointed out that as they continue to reflect on strategic issues of the education and training sector, it has come to their attention that some of the local institutions do not have internship.
Therefore, students graduate without being exposed to a place of work consequently lacking in necessary technical skills. Eventually Dr Matshediso said this will result in skills mismatch that is encountered in most of the sectors. “This failure by some of the local institutions to place their students under internship is one major factor that contributes to skills mismatch in most of the sectors. It has to be mandatory for local institutions to always entail internship in all their programs to avoid this situation,” she pointed out.
As a wake-up call Dr Matshediso stated that all local institutions need internship guidelines. “To avoid this skill mismatch in future internship has to be mandatory and no student will graduate before going through it.”
HRDC Chief Executive Officer Dr Raphael Dingalo who concurred with Dr Matshediso said the vacuum left by unskilled interns is why foreigners dominate some key positions due to their technical skills. “What some of these institutions are doing is not satisfactory and we are working on it. We are currently working with consultants to address these issues,” added Dr Raphael.