Sinister signs in the sponsorship quota horizon

Uncertain future: Govt has imposed quotas on sponsorship at tertiary level
Uncertain future: Govt has imposed quotas on sponsorship at tertiary level

Government hails its new quota system for tertiary education sponsorship as addressing skills mismatch, prudent resource deployment and graduate unemployment. Other commentators are seeing more sinister side-effects and intentions, reports Staff Writer, BABOKI KAYAWE

The ‘truism’ that tertiary institutions are producing non-market ready graduates, has been the talk of conferences and workshops held to strategise the country’s human capital development. In the past decade, institutions tasked with aligning higher education courses and market needs have been busy at work to resolve this national headache.

Essentially, the efforts have been around ensuring that the billions of Pula government pumps into sponsorship of tertiary students goes towards qualifications and skills that are required in the economy.  The idea is to avoid ‘wasting’ scarce national resources, inflating the numbers of graduates in already surfeit sectors, to the detriment of sectors where hands are required.

Editor's Comment
Botswana at a critical juncture

While the political shift brings hope for change, it also places immense pressure on the new administration to deliver on its election promises in the face of serious economic challenges.On another level, newly appointed Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe’s grim assessment of the country’s finances adds urgency to the moment. The budget deficit, expected to be P8.7 billion, is now anticipated to be even higher due to underperforming diamond...

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