Contact Details:
National Training Authority
Website: www.nta.gm
Main Office address
98 Kairaba Avenue
Fajara M Section
P.O. Box 1087,
Banjul
The Gambia
West Africa
Telephone Numbers
+220
4370518
4371799
Fax:
4370548
4370526
Email: info@nta.gm
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Background Information:
 The
Gambia like other developing nations understood the need to
support its national development process through the creation
of a Skills Development Strategy. As a result 1998, the Department
of State for Education (DOSE) supported by the European Development
Fund under the 3rd Education Project, developed a Private
Sector led Skills Development Policy to Reform TVET in the
Gambia.
The development of the policy led to the National Training
Authority Act of 2002. The Authority supported by a subvention
and a Levy started operations in 2003 to create an enabling
environment for Reforms to TVET to be financed by the European
Development Fund under the Support to Education
Sector Project (SESP).
The Reforms were supported by four EU Technical Experts in
the fields of Standards and Qualifications Development, Labour
Market Information Systems and Capacity Building for a period
of ten (10) months.
The Gambia Skills Qualifications Framework (GSQF) was developed
and launched together with 30 skills standards and qualifications
in four priority fields plus several other Key Skills namely:
• Agriculture (Horticulture)
• Hospitality (Customer Care and Food Hygiene and Safety)
• Construction (Domestic House Wiring)
• Engineering (Motor Mechanic)
• Key Skills (Literacy; Numeracy; ICT (User); English Communications;
Work skills and Life Skills)
The GSQF taking cognisance of the high level of illiteracy
in the Gambia with equally high participation of the informal
sector in the economy, focused on a two tier system that caters
for both the literate (normal route) and the non-literate
(practical route). These are unique to only the GSQF and are
being complimented by Key Skills at the Foundation Level open
to all and sundry.
The GSQF is being supported by the:
• Development of a Quality Assurance (QA) Process for Registration
and Accreditation.
The instrument has been validated and its regulations are
being reviewed by the Department of State for Justice.
• Development of Standards and Qualifications in four (4)
pilot sectors of the economy.
As mentioned above additional standards and qualifications
are being developed in the existing four (4) fields with new
fields being identified by the Labour Market study and industry.
• Creation of an Assessment and Certification system together
with the Private Sector as key players.
Assessment and Certification processes and procedures are
currently being developed and as competency based training
are new to the Gambia, the pilot phase will be utilised to
ensure a thorough understanding of the system. Key stakeholders
of high repute are involved in the process.
• Creation of Policies on Apprenticeship; Attachment; Information
and Communication; ICT; Human Resource etc
The Apprenticeship policy is linked to the GamJobs initiative
under Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment
(DoSTIE).
Attachment forms a crucial part of the trainees training programme
conducted nationally (together with industry trainees are
exposed to the world-of-work). Trainees who undertake attachment
are usually in their first year and are required to return
to their various institutions at the end of the period.
Information and Communication is central to the NTA activities.
The policy developed in this regard is geared towards producing
informative materials for national and international awareness
campaigns, networking, benchmarking and references.
Vision & Mission Statement:
The National Training Authority is committed to expand and
strengthen TVET opportunities oriented towards meeting the
present and future demands of industry, the public and private
sector.
Vision:
To provide a trained, skilled, self-reliant and enterprising
labour force that reflects the demand of The Labour Market.
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