Speaking at the first Strategic Steering Committee (SSC) meeting on Tuesday at Capitol Hill in Lilongwe to take stock of progress on the Programme, Secretary for Labour, Chikondano Mussa, who co-chairs the SSC said the Ministry is pleased with the progress.
‘’My Ministry is keen to support the Zantchito Programme to improve the coordination and governance of the TEVET system, to address priority challenges based on an evidence-based assessment of the system in close cooperation with other Ministries, the private sector and other stakeholders”. Said Mussa
Principal Secretary responsible for SMEs and Cooperatives, in Ministry of Trade and Industry, Francis Zhuwao who also co-chairs the SSC, emphasised the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration and forging partnerships with implementers. This collaborative approach is crucial for the programme to build upon the progress achieved to date.
Progress reported for the first year of the Zantchito skills for jobs programme included identification of 4 TEVET centres which will be upgraded into Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) across the country; commencement of business incubation for idea stage entrepreneurs working through six entrepreneurship incubators including Mzuzu E-Hub, NxtGen Labs, LUANAR Agribiz, Dzuka Africa, DAPP, and Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS); and review of the SME law and labour laws.
In attendance at the meeting were representatives from Ministries of Labour; Trade and Industry; Education; Youth; Gender; Tourism; Finance; Energy; Transport; Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM), Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) as well as Zantchito implementing partners- the British Council, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CARE Malawi, PLAN International, PROMAN, Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and GOPA Worldwide Consultants.
The SSC is an inter-ministry and stakeholder body that will be providing strategic oversight and guidance and validating the overall direction and policy of the entire Zantchito Action.
Through its guidance and oversight, the SSC will ensure that the programme is implemented in a transparent, accountable, and ethical manner. The committee will work collaboratively to ensure that the programme delivers high-quality outputs and the intended impact.
