Career development through training
Training and development programmes are crucial within an organisation as they enhance employee skills, boost productivity, foster innovation and ensure the company's competitive edge in the market.Regain’s Trust project manager Tulimegameno Shiiga, in an interview with a local newspaper last year, emphasised the vital role training and development plays within any organisation in terms of fostering economic growth and stability.
“It is impossible to overstate the importance of training, which is required at every level as it enhances an employee's capabilities, which raises the output's quality and quantity,” she said.
Private Sector
Training officer Alexander Fase, who has over a decade of experience in private sector training, said investing in training and development is crucial for building organisational capabilities. It also ensures a smooth succession and keeps the company innovating and improving.
“I strongly believe that by prioritising training and skills transfer for young Namibians, the country can achieve sustainable development and create a competitive edge in the global market,” he added.
Various institutions like the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) offer programmes aimed to equip students with the necessary soft and technical skills required for the workplace.
Teopo Mpigana, a NUST alumnus, shared how valuable the training was to her career development.
“Most of the knowledge I gained in this training was totally new to me and it influenced my way of understanding in the workforce,” she said.
Public sector
An applaudable initiative in this vein is led by the Namibian Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam), which aids in the knowledge and skill development of staff members.
According Nipam’s Governance Act, the institution operates as a state-owned enterprise with the responsibility of offering managerial and administrative training, as well as acting as a think tank for the Namibian public sector.
Nipam is tasked with developing a culture in the public sector that values good governance, cooperation and coordination, forming alliances, conducting operational research, as well as evaluating capacity in a way that fosters learning.