HRDC Capacitates Education and Training Institutions on Developing their Plans

As a national, multi-stakeholder human resource development advisory and supervisory body, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) continues to engage with its stakeholders to create buy-in to drive its mandate of coordinating and promoting the implementation of the National Human Resource Development Strategy (NHRDS). HRDC is responsible for driving the achievements of the overarching objectives including those to provide policy advice on all matters of national human resource development; coordination and promotion of the implementation of the National Human Resource Development Strategy; development of the National and Sector Human Resource Development Plans and planning and advising on tertiary education financing and work place learning.

The Department of Human Resource Development Planning (HRDP) – Supply within HRDC is responsible for promoting the establishment, co-ordination and approval of institutional plans for public and private tertiary education institutions and post implementation monitoring and evaluation. On the 30^th October – 1^st November 2016, the HRDP (Supply) consulted with Education and Training Institutions in North East Region on a working meeting held in Francistown organised to give feedback on submitted draft institutional plans and support the Institutions to amend their plans. The working meeting was a follow up of the Institutional Planning Capacity Building Workshop that was held in Francistown between the 24^th and 25^th August 2016.

During the workshop, the Institutional Planner, Mr. Onkabetse Mmereki gave a background on institutional plans write ups, explaining to the attendants about how the plans must be outlined. Mr. Mmereki highlighted facts to be outlined in the plan including, lines of reporting, teaching and learning space availability, student enrollment, staffing qualifications and student lecture ratio. “It is important to state the challenges and give a detailed picture of needs to be done to address the challenges in order of priority” Said Mr. Mmereki.

Giving the way forward, the Director of HRDP (supply), Dr. Ellah Matshediso emphasised that institutions must utilise all the channels to collect input including sharing with their management and other staff to finalise plans and summit the amended to HRDC by the 4^th November 2016. Dr. Matshediso also advised the Institutions to continue implementing the plans at Institution level and prepare for monitoring and evaluation visits which the Department will be undertaking in near future. “The HRDC is here to assist you to develop resourceful plans, therefore you should solicit support and guidance from us during the implementation.” Said Dr Matshediso.

HRDC will continue to support Education and Training Institutions to ensure that they plan for programmes in a way aligned with the skills needs of the Botswana’s economy. The aim is to have plans from the Education and Training Institutions completed and approved by HRDC by end of planning year 2016/17.