Skilled workforce training is the most important thing for the future of the Somali people as the country tries to move away from years of trouble and rebuild its cities. If you look at the streets of Mogadishu or Hargeisa today you see so many young people who are full of energy but they often lack the specific certificates or the deep technical knowledge to get the high-paying jobs in the new companies. This skilled workforce training is the bridge that will connect our talented youth to the global economy by teaching them things like computer coding modern nursing and even advanced construction skills. Without a solid plan to educate our people we will always have to hire experts from other countries to build our roads and run our hospitals which is why the government and private schools are now pushing very hard to change the system.
Read Also: Ramadan Study Tips: Keep Grades High While Fasting
Why the Current Education System Needs a Change
For a long time the focus in Somalia was just on basic literacy and religious studies which are very good but they are not enough for the modern world we live in. The skilled workforce training we need today must include vocational schools where a student can learn how to fix a solar panel or how to manage a large farm using new technology. In the past many graduates would finish university with a degree in social studies but they couldn’t find a job because the market was looking for engineers and electricians. By shifting the focus to skilled workforce training the nation can make sure that the time and money spent on education actually results in a paycheck and a better life for the family.
Skilled Workforce Training in the Medical and Tech Sectors
One area where we see a huge gap is in the hospitals and the growing tech startups that are popping up everywhere. The skilled workforce training for nurses and lab technicians is literally a matter of life and death because we need local people who can operate the new machines and handle the medicine correctly. At the same time the young kids who are good with phones need a place where they can get skilled workforce training in cybersecurity and software development. Since Somalia has one of the fastest internet speeds in Africa it is a shame if we don’t have the people to build the apps and the websites that our businesses need to grow in the coming years.
Read Also: Digital learning tools: helping Somali students study more
The Role of International Partners and Local Business
We cannot do this alone so many international groups are now working with Somali businessmen to fund the skilled workforce training centers across the country. These partners bring in the latest tools and the teachers from abroad who can show the local instructors the newest ways of doing things. This kind of skilled workforce training is great because it combines the local knowledge of the Somali culture with the global standards of the professional world. When a big company like a telecom provider or a bank helps to train the students they are basically creating their own future employees which is a win for everyone involved in the process.
Challenges of Reaching Rural Students
It is much easier to find a good school in the capital city but the skilled workforce training must reach the kids in the small villages and the nomadic areas too. If we only train the people in the cities we will create a big gap between the rich and the poor which is not good for the peace of the country. Using mobile apps and radio lessons is one way to provide skilled workforce training to those who cannot travel long distances every day. We need to make sure that a girl in a remote part of Lower Shabelle has the same chance to learn how to be an accountant as a boy living in the middle of the city.
Making Education Affordable for Everyone
The biggest hurdle for most families is the cost of the tuition because even a few dollars a month is a lot of money when you are struggling. To make skilled workforce training successful the government needs to offer more scholarships and maybe give tax breaks to the private schools that take in poor students for free. If the skilled workforce Development is only for the children of the wealthy then the country will never truly develop its full potential. We need a system where talent is the only thing that matters and where any hardworking student can get the chance to become a pilot a doctor or a master builder regardless of their father’s bank balance.
Conclusion and the Road Ahead
The path to a strong and independent Somalia is paved with books and tools and a lot of hard work. The skilled workforce Development that we start today will show its results in five or ten years when we see our own people leading the big projects and running the government departments with high efficiency.
Read Also: Somali Education Journey: From Wooden Tablets to University Degree
It is a slow journey but it is the only one that leads to real success for the nation. Let’s hope that the leaders keep their promises and keep investing in the brains of the youth because they are the most valuable resource we have.
