Capacity Building project in Zambia
Project title: Capacity Building in Zambia
Timing: March 2015 – September 2016
Location: Zambia
Client: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government
The background
The Mining and Civil Infrastructure Industries have been a prime enabler of Zambia’s socio-economic development for the past century. However, the socio-economic benefits of Mining and Civil Infrastructure activity can only be realised if the Zambian Government and Industry are able to satisfy their workforce skilling requirements at a local level.
The opportunity
SkillsDMC and the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA) in Zambia have a strong collaborative relationship supported by a Memorandum of Understanding. Having worked closely together since 2013, SkillsDMC was engaged in 2015 to build the capacity of TEVETA to develop skills competency frameworks aligned to the specific operating requirements of the Mining and Civil Infrastructure Industries.
The solution
The outcomes of this project include a set of competencies, developed in collaboration with Industry and TEVETA, for selected occupations that meet the workforce competency requirements of international Mining companies operating in Zambia; Assessment Materials aligned to the competencies developed and an implementation guide aimed at TEVETA, trainers and assessors for the competencies. The project will also define success criteria for a Centre of Excellence servicing the Mining and Civil Infrastructure Industries. SkillsDMC staff worked in close collaboration with TEVETA through a series of in-country visits, capacity building workshops focused on industry engagement and mentoring support to achieve these outcomes.
The benefit
This project enhanced TEVETA’s capacity to develop competency standards, engage with Industry to validate these standards and produce rigorous assessment materials to ensure local workforces can operate safely and productively in a zero harm environment.
Testimonial
“This testimonial is to endorse the work of SkillsDMC, with whom my organisation has worked for two years. The SkillsDMC team worked with us as partners through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in April 2014, and a TVET curriculum system improvement project which we implemented collaboratively from April 2015 to September2016.
From the beginning, they understood the need for local ownership and inclusion.Together we customized their global expertise and capacity building strategies, taking intoaccount our complexities and conditons to further educate and train our communities,especially youths. I have been impressed with SkillsDMC’s strong technical expertise, local knowledge and commitment to sharing international best practice. SkillsDMC’s experts hold a diverse range of knowledge and experience on industry engagement, workforce planning, training fund management, training and assessment, verification of competence and industry referenced Centres of Excellence, and we have appreciated being able to tap into this through our partnership.With strong experience in emerging markets, SkillsDMC has helped us achieve our project goals.
A safe and skilled local workforce goes beyond the workplace – it has the power to change many lives and shape societies. I recommend SkillsDMC to you without hesitation.”
Mr David C. Chakonta, Director-General, Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA),
Zambia