Need to train graduates for economic development

Angola needs nearly two-and-a-half million graduate managers by 2020 to respond to economic development priorities in the fast-growing Southern African country, according to economist Manuel Nunes Júnior.

Nunes Júnior, president of the National Assembly’s economic and finance commission, was speaking at a seminar on the "Importance and relevance of professional qualifications of national managers" at a forum on economic growth and sustainable human development.

He said the graduates would be trained to deal with developing economic ‘mega clusters’ such as geology, mining and industry, oil and natural gas, energy and water, forests, housing, tourism and leisure, health, education and culture, transport, logistics and financial activities, reported the Angola Press Agency, or APA.

He said Angola – which has a population of 19 million people – currently had 1.2 million graduates, including directors, managers and advanced technicians, and this number should double during the next seven years.

Combining abundant natural resources and qualified and competent managers, Angola could certainly achieve its objective of increasing its human development index from the current 0.40 to 0.53 in coming years, said Nunes Júnior.

He recognised the lack of quality managers in Angola and concluded that investment in education was crucial for the country to be successful in the development process, reported APA.

Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Adão Gaspar Ferreira do Nascimento has also drawn attention to the need for trained specialists in the areas of geology, engineering, geography and geophysics, reported APA.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a new practice centre at the University Agostinho Neto in the Luanda region, and said he was undertaking a study to restructure teaching units to improve courses in those subjects.

The reform would aim to produce a greater variety of specialisations and courses at different levels of higher education, and resources to train staff and technicians in the numbers necessary for the country.

The new centre will cater for 80 students, with two dormitories, four bathrooms, a kitchen, space for conferences and practical work, and accommodation for nine teachers.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.