Botswana’s Vice President and Minister of Finance, Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe, made a strategic visit to Switzerland’s SFS Company during the prestigious St. Gallen Symposium, with a clear mission: to explore the Swiss dual education system and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) models as Botswana seeks to reform its education sector.
The Swiss model, globally renowned for its success in blending academic instruction with hands-on workplace experience, stood out as a promising blueprint for Botswana. It is structured around a dual system where students split their time between classroom-based learning and apprenticeships within companies, creating a strong alignment between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
During his visit, Gaolathe engaged with SFS executives and education stakeholders to better understand how Switzerland’s public-private partnerships contribute to a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. He emphasized the urgency of bridging Botswana’s skills gap, especially among the youth, by fostering stronger links between education and industry.
“The Swiss system demonstrates how strategic collaboration between the education sector and private enterprises can produce job-ready graduates,” Gaolathe noted. “It is a model we are keen to study and adapt to Botswana’s context, to enhance youth employability and drive economic transformation.”
The visit underscores Botswana’s commitment to global best practices in education reform, particularly in the area of vocational training. It aligns with the country’s broader National Transformation Agenda, which identifies TVET as a central pillar for sustainable development, economic diversification, and inclusive growth.
Gaolathe’s initiative reflects a proactive approach to tackling youth unemployment through skills development. By learning from Switzerland’s example, Botswana aims to create a more responsive and dynamic education system that meets the needs of the labour market while empowering young people with practical, in-demand skills.
As Botswana deepens its investment in education reform, this international engagement sets a forward-looking tone, signaling the country’s readiness to innovate and collaborate on a global scale to shape a more prosperous future for its youth.
