During a recent visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini, COL’s Adviser for Skills, Mr Robert Okinda met with Ms Naniki Mnisi, Principal Secretary for Education and Training (MOET). During the meeting, Ms Mnisi reaffirmed the government’s agenda to empower youth with relevant skills needed to increase employment opportunities. She also highlighted that the meeting marks a significant step in the partnership between COL and Eswatini’s Ministry of Education and Training, aimed at advancing Open TVET initiatives across the country.

The Open TVET initiative prioritises the development of competency-based curricula and assessments (CBET), leveraging blended learning across both formal and non-formal TVET programmes. The Director of Education, Dr Tholakele Dlamini, noted, “competency-based education (CBE) has already been implemented at the primary level. The government now aims to extend this transformation to secondary and tertiary education, aligning curriculum development to prepare students advancing from primary school for higher education and meet workforce demands”.

COL’s Focal Point in Eswatini and Chief Education Officer at the MOET, Dr Buyisile Dladla, announced plans to develop a Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum designed for blended learning delivery. The curriculum will be tailored for various institutions, including the TVET Teacher Training at the Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT), the Vocational and Technical Training at Manzini Industrial Training Centre (MITC), and Non-formal TVET at Sebenta National Institute (SNI) and Dvokolwako Rural Education Centre (RECs), as well as Prevocational Education at Emlalatini Development Centre (EDC). Oversight of the initiative will be led by the MOET, in partnership with the Eswatini Higher Education Commission, the Eswatini Qualification Authority, and the Directorate of Vocational and Industrial Training, working closely with the private sector and industry partners to ensure effective implementation.

Mr Okinda emphasised that the initiative focuses on expanding equitable access to skills training programmes that are gender-responsive, inclusive, high-quality, standardised, and affordable. He highlighted that the CBET programmes will be designed to meet industry demand and are registered, accredited, and recognised by relevant sectors.
COL’s policy and collaborative practice approach will be adopted, balancing centralised oversight with decentralised delivery to enhance accessibility, affordability and responsiveness while maintaining quality and industry relevance.

COL had previously supported Emlalatini Development Centre (EDC) in establishing open schooling in Eswatini. Simon Maseko, Principal of EDC, expressed his delight that the Hub and Spoke TVET Decentralisation Model will be adopted into the Open TVET initiative. Under this approach, the central hub oversees key functions like policy development, quality assurance, and standardisation of TVET programmes, while providing autonomy to deliver skills training adapted to local community needs.