WeeklySA_AdminFACT-FINDING: A high-level delegation led by The Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education, Professor Pierre Gomez, visit South Africa this week to study how closer collaboration between academia and industry can better prepare graduates for the world of work…
By WSAM Reporter
A powerful education delegation from The Gambia has arrived in South Africa on a week-long, fact-finding mission.
Headed by the minister of higher education, research, science and technology, Honorable Professor Pierre Gomez, the visitors met this week with the leadership of the Wholesale & Retail Sector, Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA) and the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (MERSETA), among others.
Facilitated by the International Relations Chief Directorate of the Department of Higher Education and Training, the primary aim of the visit by The Gambian delegation was to share experiences on how to “marry academia and industry” through skills training and development.
The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, located on the west coast and almost entirely surrounded by Senegal.
The Republic of The Gambia, also known as ‘The Smiling Coast” and capital is Banjul, is a narrow country under 50 km wide, straddled along The Gambia River with a population of just about 2.8 million.
The two nations, through its leaders, had come to a realisation that through skills training and development, the trainee stood a better chance of being a productive and a useful member of a society.
“This we have seen with our students after graduation with a university degree still needing to be trained for the job by the industry. This after spending 12 years at school, and four years at university,” Tom Mkhwanazi, chief executive officer of W&RSETA, said, adding that those 16 years should produce a “finished product” to enter the job market and hit the ground running.
“South and The Gambia share a long-standing and positive relationship, grounded in mutual respect, co-operation and a shared commitment to the development of Africa,” Minister Gomez said, adding that the two countries’ engagement in areas of education, skills development, science, research and innovation were aimed at improving and growing the economy of the continent of Africa.
Over the period, the visit focused on policy engagement, institutional governance, funding, quality development and assurance, as well as research and innovation.
The Gambian team also visited selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as well as Community Education and Training (CET) centres.
The Gambian Education Minister Gomez conceded that while his nation was small in size, there were similarities with South Africa in the approach to bridge the gap between academia and the industry.
“The arrangements are quite similar, only the configuration differs here and there,” Gomez said, adding that they too in The Gambia have TVET colleges modeled around learnerships, internships and apprenticeships.
He said there was a need for Africa to skill, develop and propel the youth to the front as the future belonged to them.
“Our continent is fortunate that it has youth in abundance, while Europe and the West has a huge adult population that is dying,” he said, adding that the youth needed to be equipped to take up the cudgel and develop and grow the continent and its economy.
MERSETA acting chief executive officer Naphtaly Mokgotsane said the fact-finding mission highlighted the relevance of South Africa’s skills development architecture, particularly the role of Sector Education and Training Authorities, quality councils, and TVET institutions in building demand-driven and industry-responsive systems.
“At the same time, it has reminded us that while institutional arrangements may differ between us and The Gambia, our goals remain closely aligned: to empower young people, strengthen institutional capacity and link skills development to inclusive economic growth,” Mokgotsane said.
