In a bid to instil and boost entrepreneurship culture in TEVET, on 7th April, the TEVET Authority awarded various TEVET graduates for their creative and innovative business ideas.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Wezzie Kayira graced the occasion which saw over 13 would-be TEVET entrepreneurs being awarded in a number of categories.

The categories for the awards were: Apprentice Wamapulani, Apprentice wa Masomphenya, Ngwazi ya Luso, Mphukira Award and Luntha Award.  Prizes in the categories ranged from MK500,000 to MK1,000 000 as cash prizes as well as linkages to business development services and financing institutions.  

In his remarks, Kayira commended TEVET Authority for the initiative of recognising outstanding business ideas from TEVET graduates describing it as a way of stirring them to venture into entrepreneurship.

 He said, TEVET enterprises are not only contributing towards job creation but also boosting the national economy as they empower a lot of individuals economically.

“First of all, let me commend TEVET Authority for this initiative that has the potential of energizing a lot of youth to venture into business. You know, sometimes the business environment can be so overwhelming but when you recognise business ideas from would be entrepreneurs in such a manner, they get energized to push through,” said Kayira.

Kayira said the initiative is in line with the Malawi Vision 2063 which seeks to make Malawi an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialised upper middle-income country with a vibrant knowledge-based economy and strong and competitive manufacturing industry and tourism hubs.

“The achievement of all this requires skilled, competent and productive entrepreneurs capable of producing quality goods and services that can compete favourably at local and international markets,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Board Chairperson for the Authority Don Whayo said the Innovation and Creativity Awards used to be called Entrepreneurship Awards but they were re-engineered to bring in innovation and creativity as these are core elements.

The awards feed into one of the TEVET Policy’s core outcomes of Enhanced Entrepreneurial culture among Malawians.

He, therefore, said creators and innovators in TEVET need to be fully supported if the country is to reduce high unemployment rates as well as achieve economic independence.

Whayo further pledged continued support to entrepreneurs in the country. He said the Authority will further explore other avenues of intensifying its efforts in building entrepreneurs in the sector.

“We know that lack of access to capital is a major challenge that deters TEVET graduates from establishing businesses. To address this, we recently signed Memorandums of Understanding with the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) and Bankers Association of Malawi to ensure that our entrepreneurs have access to funding for their ideas,” said Whayo.

He also cited an agreement between his institution and the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) where a community innovation programme which engages and empowers innovators is being implemented.

“Community innovators are accessing university training and commercialisation of their technologies is being facilitated. Through these ways, we are linking innovators and innovations to a platform that provides them with a chance of developing and upscaling their technologies. TEVET graduates with innovative ideas are also benefitting from this programme as their ideas are being developed and sharpened so that they reap maximum benefits,” he said.

One of the awardees, Hastings Mkandawire who emerged as a winner in the Ngwazi ya Luso award, which was the award for those with a running business, thanked TEVET Authority for recognising entrepreneurs.

He said his recognition and those of others will help them to push their businesses forwarded. He said, apart from the cash prizes, the awardees were also trained on how to pitch their business to potential partners.

“We are very grateful for this recognition, which will go a long way in pushing us forward. Linkages are what we lacked the most hence we will fully utilise the opportunity accorded to us,” shared Mkandawire.

The Innovation and Creativity Awards were initiated in 2015 to nurture business ideas TEVET trainees and graduates have, support innovation and recognise the achievements of those running businesses in TEVET to motivate them to take their businesses to greater heights.