Rwanda to Establish 30 TVET Centers of Excellence by 2029

The Government of Rwanda has set a goal that by the end of the second phase of the National Strategies for Transformation (NST2), 30 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) will be established for technical, vocational, and Training Education, utilizing modern technology in various sectors. These centers aim to produce a qualified workforce that meets international standards, with the ultimate goal of transforming Rwanda into a modern and industrialized nation.

The responsibility of these Centers of Excellence will be to accommodate students from Ordinary Level who have performed better, and to train employees from new private companies seeking advanced skills beyond what they already possess.

Each school will also have a research component to meet international standards, as explained by the Director-General of the Rwanda TVET Board, Dipl.-Ing. Paul Umukunzi, to the media.

“We have started the project of establishing TVET Centers of Excellence, which are modern schools that meet international standards. Currently, we are working on eight that meet Korean standards, three with EU standards, one with Austrian standards, and three with Luxembourg ones”, he said.

Each school will cost between $8 US and $12 US million, and so far, funding for 15 schools has already been secured. The locations have been chosen, and the technology to be taught in each school has already been identified, with some of them already under construction, he has highlighted.

The first school is expected to be inaugurated in October of this year, while the second, which has received a budget of 7.5 million dollars, is set to be completed in one and a half years at the Kigali Special Economic Zone. This aims to provide students with the opportunity to study near industries to help them gain the necessary skills needed by the workforce.

Additionally, eight Centers of Excellence, funded by the Korean government, will have a combined budget of $135 US million. The funding is in place, feasibility studies are underway, and the next step will be the procurement process. Three schools, focusing on modern agriculture, will be funded by Luxembourg with a budget of around €30 million. Two other schools will be funded by the European Union.

Ing. Paul Umukunzi added, “Funding for the 15 schools has already been secured, and we are still working on mobilizing funds for the remaining 15 schools. Our goal is to have all 30 schools established and operational by the end of (NST2) in 2029.”

He further emphasized that all 30 schools will have international accreditation, meaning that students graduating from these schools in Rwanda will receive certificates that are recognized worldwide, allowing them to be competitive on the global job market.

The courses offered will focus on modern technology in agriculture, animal health, food processing, wood technology and land surveying. There will be also TVET programs on drone technology, 3D printing technology, embedded systems and IoT technology, robot control technology and AI, big data analytics technology, electrical technology, manufacturing technology, and more.

Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) focuses on achieving inclusive and sustainable development with an emphasis on human capital development, economic diversification and innovation.