Gemstone training a success
As part of entrepreneurship development and promotion through the Growth at Home Initiative, the industrialization and trade ministry established a Gemstone Training Centre in Karibib in 2019.
The training, spearheaded by the Enhancing Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EMPRETEC) Namibia, provides Namibian youth with skills in gemstone cutting and polishing.
With its abundant resources in precious and semi-precious stones, Namibia aims to develop an internationally competitive industry for its jewellery and coloured gemstone value chain.
Not open yet
The ministry has also issued a warning about recent posts circulating on social media platforms regarding the 2024 intake for the training programme in Karibib. The ministry has not yet released any official notice for the 2024 intake and will do so in the next two to three months.
The ministry's chief communications officer, Elijah Mukubonda, urged the public to keep an eye out for an official announcement from the ministry on all platforms. Participants for the 2023 programme are yet to complete the final stage of the training programme before new intakes can commence.
Training programme
A six-month training programme, which is offered annually, entails the disciplines of gemstone cutting and polishing; assortment and marking; slicing operation; pre-shaping operation; calibration; faceting and polishing of round, oval, square, pear, and other shapes; cutting angle and proportion operations; and grading techniques.
Statistics
Mukubonda, said: “The training has proven to be a success since its inception."
A total of 242 graduates have been recorded, with a total of 64 trainings hosted across Namibia.
The ministry has trained 26 trainers, of whom 14 came from the ministry and the rest from various key stakeholders, namely the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), the gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare ministry, the City of Windhoek, the Namibian University of Science and Technology, and the higher education, training and innovation ministry.
The training, spearheaded by the Enhancing Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EMPRETEC) Namibia, provides Namibian youth with skills in gemstone cutting and polishing.
With its abundant resources in precious and semi-precious stones, Namibia aims to develop an internationally competitive industry for its jewellery and coloured gemstone value chain.
Not open yet
The ministry has also issued a warning about recent posts circulating on social media platforms regarding the 2024 intake for the training programme in Karibib. The ministry has not yet released any official notice for the 2024 intake and will do so in the next two to three months.
The ministry's chief communications officer, Elijah Mukubonda, urged the public to keep an eye out for an official announcement from the ministry on all platforms. Participants for the 2023 programme are yet to complete the final stage of the training programme before new intakes can commence.
Training programme
A six-month training programme, which is offered annually, entails the disciplines of gemstone cutting and polishing; assortment and marking; slicing operation; pre-shaping operation; calibration; faceting and polishing of round, oval, square, pear, and other shapes; cutting angle and proportion operations; and grading techniques.
Statistics
Mukubonda, said: “The training has proven to be a success since its inception."
A total of 242 graduates have been recorded, with a total of 64 trainings hosted across Namibia.
The ministry has trained 26 trainers, of whom 14 came from the ministry and the rest from various key stakeholders, namely the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), the gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare ministry, the City of Windhoek, the Namibian University of Science and Technology, and the higher education, training and innovation ministry.
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Namibian Sun
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