Mohale’s Hoek, April. 13 — The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Employment Mr. Matela Thabane, has on Thursday urged Ntlafatso Skills Training Centre graduates to work tirelessly towards job creation for themselves and others.
This transpired at the graduation ceremony of more than 30 Basotho men and women who completed their three months’ certificates in about seven programmes offered by the institution.
Mr. Thabane emphasized that the only way the country’s economy could be resuscitated is when graduates join forces and establish business which will help them employ other youths while changing their lives, and concluded by saying that his wish is for the institution to be upgraded with modern programmes to enable students to join the marketplace.
On the other hand, the acting director National Employment Services (NES), in the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Employment Mrs. Cecilia Seema noted that had it not been for NES those graduates would not be where they arw.
Mrs. Seema extended her appreciation to the Ministry for ensuring that it carries out its mandate of creating jobs effectively.
She articulated that NES is operational in all districts, whereby even Basotho who only passed grade 7 register at its offices if they want to enhance their skills, without any charges even though she noted that she once heard about cases whereby people were forced to pay for registration.
Furthermore, the institution’s Director Mr. Lekhoro Chaka noted that they offer programmes like Panel Beating and Spray Painting, Motor Mechanics, Carpentry, Plumbing, Bricklaying, Sewing and Domestic Catering, but indicated that at some point they had to shut down the institution due to lack of funds and the government came to their rescue.
Ntlafatso Skills Training Centre was established in 1990 by the government of the Republic of South Africa with the purpose of equipping miners who were retrenched from its mines, but after running it for two years it was handed over to the government of Lesotho, which then opened doors to primary certificates holders.
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