Empowering Futures: The Impact of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Rwanda

TVET (Technical, Vocational, and Education Training) is a crucial education pathway that helps young people acquire the necessary skills for the job market and plays an essential role in helping individuals find employment or become entrepreneurs. Many Rwandans are able to secure jobs quickly or create businesses for themselves with specific skills in their chosen fields.

Darius Uwizeye and Ndereyimana Janvier, both teachers in TVET schools, affirm that vocational and technical training provides individuals with the skills needed to either get employed or engage in income-generating activities in a sustainable way.

Uwizeye provides a good example of someone who studied TVET, stating that after learning welding and securing a job at Center for Champions, a TVET school located in Kayonza District, Eastern Province, he was able to build his life, become accustomed to earning a monthly salary, and even set up his own workshops, which generate income.

He graduated from the Center for Champions in 2012 after completing secondary school. “Studying TVET is great. I completed my secondary education in 2011, having studied History, Economy and Geography, and I found it hard to find a job. I then started learning welding. I was fortunate to perform well in this institution, and they offered me a job where I started teaching”, he narrated.

 “I began teaching short courses, and over time, we started enrolling students at different levels. After securing a job, life changed for me because I started receiving a monthly salary. I got married and my children now attend good schools. I have also made other investments. As you can see, studying TVET helps one secure a job quickly, or offers the chance to start a business. For example, I now have my own workshops that generate income”, he said.

Uwizeye’s message is a call to encourage young people to embrace technical, vocational, and educational training, particularly those with a strong desire to learn, while urging relevant authorities to send more skilled students to these programs.

“They should put in more effort because once they are skilled, they apply what they learned, which benefit them financially. Ideally, TVET schools should accept students with high grades to allow them to become job creators”, he added.

Ndereyimana Janvier, a teacher in the Food and Beverage Operations trade at Kigali International TVET School (ITS), is another example of how TVET education is beneficial.

He explains that he started with short courses in culinary operations at the University of Tourism and Business (UTB) before advancing his knowledge to a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management.

“I was fortunate to be selected as one of the students to go abroad for an internship. It was during this time that I went to Dubai for a yearlong learning. Now, I can take a student from not knowing how to mix flour and help them reach the level of being able to bake a birthday cake and decorate it in a way that will please customers”, he said.

According to him, this makes TVET education an excellent solution for those eager to create jobs or find employment, as it allows individuals to quickly gain practical skills that lead to personal and professional development, whether in the workplace or in business.