Factors Affecting Sustainable and Quality Technical Vocational Training (TVT) Projects in Zambia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting Sustainable and Quality TVT projects in public TEVET institutions in Zambia. Furthermore, the present challenges on the Technical and Vocational training has jeopardized the sustainability for Education in terms of quality project Training Delivery and provision of good service in Zambia. Therefore, the good corporate Governance is a cornerstone and hallmark of any successful entity be in health business, education or indeed any other undertaking in any sector. The Zambian Government introduced "Management Boards initiative" for it to survival and produce positive results; however, in an effort to fulfill this obligation, the Zambian Government has encountered obstacles and Globalization challenges that have considerably weakened its role. Therefore, the policy of the management board and lack of suitable curriculum development have attracted debate in the Technical and Vocational training sector. This study is therefore, an attempt to identify and discuss problems and constraints responsible for the declining standards (provision of quality training delivery) or total quality assurance in the Ministry of Education Science Vocational Training and Education Early Child (MESVTEE) and recommend possible remedies. The need for understanding the study was based on the concept of embracing sustainability as the life blood. The Methodology research was guided by a qualitative mode of inquiry called Action Research as the primary methodology. Action research is simply a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants. Thus, three selected public TEVET institutions were used as a case study and targeted 150 total samples population in Lusaka. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaires, focus group, interviews and observation schedules. Data collected were analysed qualitatively. The study also looked at factors that could affect Sustainable and Quality Project Training Delivery (SQPTD) either positively or negatively such as political impact, globalization impact, and economic impact, social and environmental impacts. The study made known that the Ministry of Science Technology, Vocational Training and Education Early Child (MESTVTEE) has been neglected and instigated by a complex set of challenges which include; decentralization of operations in public TEVET institutions and mismatch between training and needs of industry. Furthermore, the study revealed that Zambian people need sustainable curriculum that can answer their current problems. 4 It also provided the information that, SQPTD is a philosophy of continuous improvement which can provide public TEVET institutions with a set of practical tools for meeting and exceeding present and future TEVET graduates needs, wants and expectations. This study therefore was an attempt to identify and discuss problems and constraints responsible for the failure of embracing sustainability as the driving force of SQPTD. Thus, to overcome these challenges, the study examined a key number of issues: • Disregard of Sustainable and Quality Project Training Delivery (SQPTD). • Disregard of labour-market and high unemployment rate among TEVET graduates. • Criticism of Public TEVET Management Boards performance • Inadequate funding of TEVET projects • and lack of accountability in TEVET institutions South American Journal of Management Special Edition 2016 2 • Inadequate of training materials for TEVET students.