By Chisomo Phiri

The Director of Luso Technical College, Chikumbutso Dodoma,has urged graduates to use their technical skills to drive economic growth through self-employment.

Speaking at the college’s graduation ceremony in Blantyre on Friday, Dodoma emphasized the critical role of technical education in national development.

“This graduation is not just a milestone for the students.It is a step toward building the nation.

“We hope our graduates will not only find employment but also create their own businesses, applying the skills they have learned to benefit themselves and Malawi,” he said.

Dodoma highlighted the evolving perception of vocational and technical education in the country.

He said:“Previously, most people focused on professional courses. Slowly, the value of technical and vocational skills is being recognized.Within the next five years, we hope that these skills will be widely accepted and applied across Malawi.”

Dodoma concluded by stressing the importance of entrepreneurship and practical skills, encouraging graduates to take initiative and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development.

On his part,Mayor of Blantyre City,Isaac Jomo Osman,emphasized the importance of technical skills in driving national development, calling on Malawian youth to focus on practical skills that can create employment and improve the country’s future.

Osman highlighted the need for young people to be trained in technical fields, noting that countries like China benefit from a workforce with strong technical competencies.

“Technical skills are very important. If we want our country to get better, we need a lot of young people who are trained.With the new technical colleges supporting our youth, I can see our country improving a lot,” he said.

The mayor also stressed the importance of balancing theory with practical experience.

“Our current professors are saying we need to change our mindset. It is high time the youth know what to do and understand themselves.Every year, we have many students finishing school without work. Technical skills will help them create jobs for themselves and for others, and give them something meaningful to do in life,” he said.

Osman noted that while Malawi is good at planning, the country struggles with implementation.

He cited the large number of Malawians traveling abroad to gain skills and knowledge as evidence of this gap.

“If you go to Chileka Airport, you will see many people leaving Malawi to learn what is happening elsewhere. For example, Rwanda has developed from the Vision 2020 plans that we had in Malawi. Now Malawians are going to Rwanda to learn from those developments.” said Osman.

He concluded with a call to action.

“This is the time for Malawians to implement. We need practical skills, not theory all the time. It is high time we go to the ground and work,” he said.