15/11/2024
TVET Quality Matters for Employability, presented at KOICA’s TVET Conference 2024
The TVET Quality Management (TQUM) project, launched in 2021 with $9 million in funding, has successfully concluded, marking a significant advancement in Rwanda’s TVET sector. Initiated through a strong partnership between the Government of Rwanda and the Republic of Korea, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched this project to develop workforce-ready graduates equipped with practical skills to meet the demands of a dynamic labor market. KOICA provided $8 million of the total project budget while the Government of Rwanda contributed $1 million. The project was implemented by Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) with technical support and project management consultancy from the Korea University of Technology and Education (KOREATECH) and CANDLE Consulting Co. Ltd.
Since its inception, the TQUM project has made substantial advancements in Rwanda’s TVET sector, developing TVET Competency-based Curriculum Development Framework, TVET Competency-based Training and Assessment Implementation Framework, and TVET Trainer Certification Framework of Rwanda. Based on the frameworks, 34 competency-based curricula for basic and higher education were developed. Through collaboration with NESA, RTB, and HEC, the project conducted rigorous quality inspections to all TVET institutions in Rwanda to ensure the high quality TVET. Over 2,257 teachers were trained under the TVET Trainer Certificate course, with an additional 115 completing the Senior TVET Trainer Certificate course, significantly enhancing their competencies in curriculum development, training delivery, and assessment. Furthermore, more than 1,414 TVET leaders and administrators were trained to effectively implement competency-based training, strengthening the foundation of Rwanda’s TVET system. In the end, 29,018 TVET students in TSSs and Rwanda Polytechnic were trained, assessed, and certified by the high quality TVET in collaboration with the TQUM project.
The TVET Conference 2024, held on November 15, 2024, at the Kigali Convention Centre, officially marked the closure of the project. With the theme “Competency-Based TVET for Employability”, the conference brought together 160 participants, including dignitaries from both the Government of Rwanda and the Republic of Korea, heads of TVET institutions, Private Sector Federations, and various Development Partners discuss the project’s outcomes and strategies for ensuring its sustainability. The conference featured key speakers, including Ms. Irere Claudette, Honourable Minister of State for Education; H.E. Mr. Jeong, Woo Jin, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Rwanda; Ms. Kim Jinhwa, KOICA Rwanda Office Country Director, Dr. Sylvie Mucyo, Vice Chancellor of RP, Dipl.-Ing. Paul Umukunzi Director General of RTB and others. They emphasized the substantial impact of the high quality TVET to students’ employability as the recent tracer survey for TVET graduates showed. In particular, while more than 60 percent of TVET students from Technical Secondary Schools and Rwanda Polytechnic were identified as employed or further students within three months after graduation in 2024, the graduates trained by the high quality TVET recognized by the MINEDUC’s quality standards showed 8.4%p higher employment rates than others. Moreover, their employer satisfaction was assessed as 5.2%p higher than others given the identified fact that 88.4% of employers were highly satisfied with the fresh TVET graduates’ skills in industries.
Since 2011, KOICA has been a steadfast partner in empowering Rwandan youth through high-quality technical and vocational education through various programs. These initiatives include establishing the Rwanda TVET Trainer Institute (RTTI) to enhance the pedagogical competencies of TVET trainers and strengthen the administrative capacity of TVET institutions as well as reinforcing TVET systems and structures in Rwanda through the TQUM project to support the development of competent graduates who can meet labour market demands. From the establishment of the Rwanda TVET Trainer Institute (RTTI) whose aim was to improve the pedagogical capacity of TVET trainers and to strengthen the administrative capacity of TVET institutions to the strengthening of TVET systems and structures in Rwanda for supporting the development of competent TVET graduates who can meet labour market demands through TQUM Project.
As Rwanda’s TVET sector continues to expand, KOICA’s unwavering commitment is paving the way for new growth and opportunities. Upcoming initiatives will focus on advanced technical education, including Bachelor of Technology programs, to further empower graduates and enhance workforce capabilities. Aligned with the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit’s call to strengthen digital competencies among African youth, KOICA is also driving initiatives to foster digital skills, vocational training, and youth entrepreneurship, supporting Rwanda in developing highly skilled professionals prepared to meet the demands of a dynamic labor market.
