THE Government has urged the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) sector to find alternative models of financing.

Science and Technology Minister, Gabriel Namulambe said financing the TEVET sector had remained a challenge with only 0.8 per cent of the national Budget being committed to the area.

Mr Namulambe said at the official opening of the TEVET sector consultative meeting in Lusaka yesterday that the withdrawal of funding by cooperating partners had worsened the situation and as from 2010, the sector would not have any donor financing.

"The challenges of financing the TEVET sector cannot be met by the Government alone but calls for the partnership of the private sector through the public private partnership in helping to meet the sector's financial needs," he said.

The minister said there was also need to increase the number of drop-outs at grade seven, nine and 12 access to TEVET courses, saying out of 30,000 school drop-outs every year only 14,000 where absorbed by the TEVET training providers.

He said the increase could be achieved if more innovative ways of providing skills training as well as increasing the number of institutions providing skills training saying currently.

The ministry is constructing centres in Mongu, Kaoma, Solwezi and Chipata.

Mr Namulambe sad there was need to come up with advocacy strategies and programmes that would raise the TEVET profile and the role that it plays in National development so that people could begin associating themselves with the sector.