CRECCOM Connects Rural Schools to TEVETA to Expand Career Opportunities for Youth

CRECCOM, Education officials, TEVETA, and District Council representatives pose for a group photo in Luchenza following a successful engagement.

The Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM) is taking bold steps to bridge the gap between rural Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSSs) and technical education, ensuring that young people, especially girls, have viable career pathways beyond secondary school.

Through its Let Girls Learn project, CRECCOM facilitated engagement meetings in Mponela and Luchenza, bringing together district and division education officials, headteachers, TEVETA representatives, labour officials, and district council officials. The discussions focused on promoting technical and vocational training as a first-choice career path rather than a fallback option.

Speaking at the event, CRECCOM’s Executive Director, Alinafe Ireen Chibwana, highlighted the importance of equipping students with practical skills that align with today’s fast-changing job market.

“Our education system must prepare young people for real-world opportunities. Schools and stakeholders need to be proactive in identifying career paths and sharing them widely,” she urged.

CRECCOM Executive Director, Alinafe Ireen Chibwana, stressing the need for practical skills and proactive career guidance.

Shire Highlands Education Division Manager, Evelyn Mjima, echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of empowering students with diverse career choices.

“Every child deserves a future filled with opportunity, and technical education is one of the many ways we can achieve that,” she noted.

Stakeholders from Thyolo discussed gaps in career guidance and emphasized the need to promote technical education as a first-choice pathway for students.

From Mulanje, participants explored ways to connect CDSS students to TEVETA programs, ensuring technical skills are accessible and valued.

TEVETA emphasized the need to change the perception that technical courses are only for students who do not make it to university.

“Technical and vocational careers are just as rewarding as academic professions. These courses provide hands-on skills that match market demands and are available right in local communities through technical colleges and training centers,” explained Bertha Nyirenda, Training Programs Specialist for TEVETA.

CRECCOM, TEVETA, and education stakeholders join forces to bridge the gap between rural schools and technical education, creating brighter opportunities for all.

The Let Girls Learn project, funded by Echidna Giving, is being implemented in 36 schools across Ntchisi, Chitipa, Mulanje and Thyolo districts, working to expand educational and career opportunities for rural youth, especially girls.