Situation in Namibia:
The "Namibian Vision 2030" emphasises the key role of vocational education and training for Namibia's economic development and sustainable progress. Despite the establishment of a nationwide vocational training system, youth unemployment remains high and women are severely underrepresented in technical professions. A key future field is green hydrogen and ammonia production from renewable energies. One of the world's largest projects for green hydrogen is being developed in southern Namibia, which is intended to strengthen the export sector and meet the national energy demand at the same time. The expansion of technical and vocational training is essential in order to fulfil the demand for qualified human resources in this department and to offer young people career prospects.
Focus on partnership:
Bremen and Namibia are linked by almost five decades of partnership cooperation, characterised by strong networks between universities, civil society and state actors. The municipal climate partnership between Bremen and Windhoek plays a central role in this. On the Bremen side, the project is coordinated by the Senate Chancellery and supported by the Institute of Technology and Education (ITB) at the University of Bremen. Namibian partners such as the Namibia Training Authority, Namibia Qualification Authority, Windhoek Vocational Training Centre, NUST and the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology are important players in the further development of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Green energy department.
Project objectives and measures:
The project has a clear focus on strengthening the Namibian vocational training system in order to meet the requirement for a qualified workforce in the future-oriented green energy/hydrogen sector. The measures aim to improve career prospects, especially for women and other marginalised sections.
- Curriculum development: Together with Namibian institutions, existing training programmes are being analysed, revised and expanded to include content on renewable energy and hydrogen technologies. The ITB is contributing its expertise to develop gender-appropriate and practice-oriented curricula that take into account the requirements of the economy.
- Exchange of knowledge and experience: Study trips and networking formats promote dialogue between Namibian and Bremen stakeholders. Fact-finding missions, training courses and visits to green energy production facilities create room for practice-oriented cooperation and knowledge transfer.
- Network development: A transnational expert network for green energy is being established to ensure a continuous exchange between Namibian and Bremen experts and to create long-term synergies.
The project builds on the close partnership between Bremen and Namibia and combines the expansion of vocational training with the promotion of a key economic sector. It makes an important contribution to combating youth unemployment, promoting women in technical professions and to Namibia's sustainable economic development.