| | Walvis Bay - an international Training Centre
Monday, 5 October 2009
The Rogaland Training & Education Centre (RKK), a Norwegian foundation located in South Western Norway, has established the headquarters for its Africa operations in Walvis Bay.
During a brief meeting with the Mayor of Walvis Bay, Uilika Nambahu, the Managing Director of the RKK, Ole Imsland revealed that the training institute had signed an agreement with the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Training Institute to train students from all over the world in Walvis Bay.
"It is always a joy to visit Walvis Bay. We are equally pleased to establish our head-office for our Africa operations in the port city. In terms of our agreement with NAMFI, training will be provided to international students from countries such as Angola, Nigeria and other SADC countries. It was an easy decision to pick Walvis Bay. The port is well established and easily accessible, while the infrastructure and support from government is very good. We hope to be a good partner to the Namibian society,"Imsland said.
He noted that the RKK aims to train the local work force in a country in order to remove the foreign expertise. "We would like to train the local people to such a level that a country does not require the expertise of foreign nationals, but has its own experts that understand the country, its society and needs better. The Walvis Bay office will coordinate all the RKK activities in Africa, and with NAMFI’s excellent facilities we will also have students from other countries trained in maritime affairs. Each country has different vocational training needs and it all depends on which areas we are involved in. We can then identify the best suitable and cost effective methods of providing such education and training to these industries.”
The Mayor congratulated the two institutions on their agreement and noted that such relationships pave the way for marginalized members of society to benefit from training and education. "Due to our history, women have always been left behind when it came to education and skills training. Therefore, this agreement is a positive step in the right direction to afford women an opportunity to also learn new skills and participate in the economy of the country."
The acting chairperson of the Management Committee of the municipality, Derek Klazen praised the new venture, describing it as a good relationship to build on. "With our expanding industries such as mining and trade, there is an increased need for specialized skills and knowledge. It would be to the benefit of our communities if teachers and trainers can also be incorporated in this programme to further enhance and share their skills."
The RKK was established 20 years ago with the aim to develop high-quality training at the lowest possible cost. The same intention led to an undertaking to develop new teaching methods, particularly in regard to modern ICT and adult literacy. RKK's establishment took place in the context of the petroleum industry which had taken root in Norway in the late 1960s - early '70s. Today the RKK is a resource centre for vocational secondary schools, and coordinates the competence needs of the private and public sectors with the educational capacity of the county’s upper secondary schools. The centre employs the services of about 1,500 instructors and course leaders a year and provides vocational training to more than 50 countries in the world.
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