Namibia’s premier digital enabler, MTC has given support to the University of Namibia (UNAM) with a total of N$864 000 towards the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programme.
The programme is a three-year-long undertaking (2019 – 2021), and is committed to assist students to get practical attachment in industry and community settings, in order for them to graduate whilst at the same time preparing them for the job market.
Beneficiaries of this programme are offered a monthly stipend of N$3000, for a three months attachment period. This stipend is to assist them with transport and other basic necessity costs.
Mrs Lovisa Nghipandulwa, UNAM Industry and Cooperative Education Coordinator, who also serves as a member of the MTC National Internship Steering Committee, has confirmed that about 50 UNAM students have benefited from this programme to date, through various Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements at different organisations and government Ministries throughout the country.
Nghipandulwa said that; “The return on this investment has been evident through real-world opportunities availed to students to apply their theoretical knowledge. Allowing them to graduate through WIL is a mandatory requirement of most academic programmes, further employment opportunities offered to beneficiaries, and worthwhile initiatives by interns that saw ordinary Namibian citizens benefiting”.
“MTC National Internship Programme is a purposeful initiative which stemmed from our responsibility as a corporate initiative to the nation, and is driven through a collaborative stance between institutions of high learning and private institutions. The key focus is to assist students that require internships to graduate and subsequently create job-ready and experienced graduates”, said Tim Ekandjo, MTC Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer.
Original story by: Kerth Harvest Ithana
