President Mutharika was speaking during the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of Community Colleges at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Wednesday.
TEVETA awarded 697 students with certificates in trades such as bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, Motorcycle Mechanic, Fabrication and Welding, Tailoring and Designing and Plumbing.
Said President Mutharika: “The human capital is the single most important capital. Human capital is the beginning point of any civilization. Without a well-developed human capital, other natural resources cannot be effectively put to use.
“Our economy will grow tremendously if most of the labour force is skilled. Skilled labour force is catalyst for quality products, which we need for export.
“Skilled labour force is what will make us a producing and exporting country. And that is our vision – to make Malawi a producing and exporting nation.”
Turning to the graduating students, Mutharika urged them to use the skills they have acquired to start small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and also to create jobs for themselves and others.
“The training you have received is not an end in itself. It is not what you learn that matters. It is what you do with what you learn that matters. Show this country that you have the capability to make a difference.
“Think as an employer of others. As Government, we have instituted policies that encourage the Youth like you to create jobs for yourselves and others,” said the Malawi leader.
The community colleges were one of Mutharika’s campaign promises in the running up to 2014 Tripartite Elections.
The community technical colleges are meant to endow young people in the country with different skills for them to create their own employment and reduce the high levels of unemployment in the country.
According to President Mutharika, the establishment of the colleges shows that there is progress in the nation’s development agenda. He believes the colleges will create new skills, new businesses and new opportunities that will help develop the country adding that through the same, the country will be able to transform into an exporting nation.
