Erongo governor Natalia /Goagoses has pledged to prioritise education reform and skills-based training to address youth unemployment and the region's widening skills gap.
She emphasised these issues during her maiden state of the region address at Swakopmund on Wednesday.
"I can only address the 32% if I know exactly where these young people are, what the skills are they possess, and where their gaps are. Then we can address it.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
"I can assure you, with this team I can address the 32% unemployment rate in this region in the shortest possible time, because you can see how ready the industry players are to assist."
/Goagoses highlighted the urgent need for educational reform, taking note of the opportunities the emerging oil and gas sectors will provide and the skills they require.
"Known as the 'Region of Excellence' . . . the glorious years have slipped us, prompting the need to restart our revival plan. I'm suspending this reference to 'Region of Excellence' until we correct the mistakes of the past and reclaim our position in the national rankings in terms of better, improved learning outcomes," she said.
The governor identified technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a vital part of this mission.
She said the government has subsidised 1 087 young people to receive training in the fields of plumbing, welding, boiler making, motor mechanics and construction at the Namibian Institution of Mining and Technology (Nimt).
/Goagoses plans to restart training at Omaruru's 'yellow building' and turn it into a TVET regional hub.
"Skills development is very important - send your children to the TVET facilities," she said.
She said emerging industries such as oil and gas could be game changers in combating youth unemployment.
"It is, therefore, paramount that efforts are advanced to accelerate training in non-traditional high-income fields such as these," she said.
The mining sector was also discussed as a vehicle for job creation.
The industry employed 7 800 people in 2024 and generated an additional seven jobs in supplier industries for every mining job.
/Goagoses provided the example of Osino Resources' Twin Hills Gold project at Karibib, which is expected to create about 1 000 new jobs.
"I am a teacher of note. When I teach, children must learn. When they speak to me, I must listen and address their knowledge gaps," she said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Swakopmund Business Chamber president Paul Ndjambula agrees with the governor's emphasis on TVET.
"Skills, like the TVET she's promoting, are important because then those people generally have better opportunities to get jobs quicker than someone who's a PhD or master's degree graduate, because they simply look for a job, but the ones with skills can create their own jobs," he says.
