Digital Transformation in Rwanda’s TVET Sector: CREATE Project Approach

The Rwanda TVET Board (RTB), established under the Ministry of Education, is responsible for promoting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). RTB aims to provide comprehensive, locally curated resources to its students. TVET is recognized within the National Strategic Plan in Rwanda as essential for economic growth.

The TVET sector is targeted to generate 1,500,000 decent and productive jobs, approximately 214,000 annually in the coming years, contributing significantly to Rwanda’s economic and social development goals. By enabling a skilled, adaptable, and innovative workforce, TVET seeks to enhance the lives of Rwandans, alleviate poverty sustainably, and create self-employment and job creation. Additionally, RTB has the mandate to digitalize TVET education in line with the Government’s efforts to establish a functioning digital economy.

Key Challenges Facing Rwanda’s TVET System

The educational system in Rwanda faces challenges in accessing quality educational resources as well as digitalizing education for its students. This is evident on the level of TVET specifically. Access to educational materials (i.e., both online and offline) within TVET education in Rwanda is a multifaceted problem that is linked to:

Lack of educational materials: TVET institutions face shortages of textbooks, manuals, and training resources across disciplines such as Electrical Technology; Wood Technology; Plumbing Technology; Public Works etc.

Lack of localized content: RTB struggles to develop and publish sufficient local content for the 100.000+ students that attend their institutions. RTB has, to date, published approximately 7% of all necessary local content for their students.

Lack of electronic devices: Infrastructure and hardware is crucial for resource accessibility and modern (blended) learning practices, which in turn leads to educational progress. Currently, RTB is establishing internet connectivity at its institutions, however a lack of electronic devices remains to be a pressing issue.

CREATE Rwanda: A Scalable Solution for Digital TVET Education

Customizing Resources and Enabling Access to TVET Education (CREATE Rwanda) is an initiative to support RTB in reaching its mission to provide quality textbooks to a wide range of students across Rwanda both on- and offline. Through a partnership between BUKU, Swiss Development Cooperation and RTB, online localized content is created as well as offering (internationally) published manuals and textbooks through the BUKU platform. This partnership will be expanded on to further develop content creation and capacity building via GIZ together with BUKU, TRAIDE Foundation, Neesar and RTB. In addition, digital devices will be provided by partners such as Close the Gap and Incentro who are looking to incorporate the maintenance of the devices into the TVET Educational modules through which students can maintain their own devices.

Impact of the CREATE Rwanda Partnership

This partnership creates the following benefits:

• Create Rwandan TVET textbooks with local content together with RTB for Rwandan and other vocational markets worldwide.
• Train local staff, all learning advisors, and teachers of the RTB on using the publishing templates (i.e., ePub) and apply blended learning practices.
• Create a sustainable revenue stream for TVET textbooks in Rwanda, essentially boosting the Rwandan writing culture and creating a sustainable ecosystem in Rwanda, while at the same time ensuring digital access to relevant and up-to-date textbooks from other parts of the world through the BUKU platform.

TRAIDE, in collaboration with partners listed above, has initiated efforts to tackle the aforementioned challenges through the CREATE Rwanda model.

CREATE project approach

Scaling Digital TVET Innovation Across Rwanda’s Education System

The joint efforts of the Dutch private sector, development partners, and the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) within the CREATE partnership are transforming technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Rwanda. This collaboration is equipping students with essential skills for the job market. The Ministry of Education is considering the ongoing partnership as a pilot program for the entire Rwandan educational system, including polytechnics and universities. Initial discussions have taken place to scale these activities to general education and higher education institutions.

Partner with TRAIDE to Build Impactful Solutions in Rwanda

CREATE Rwanda is a good example of how collaboration between the private sector and government institutions can lead to sustainable, high-impact solutions.  We are proud to have established this partnership and look forward to the positive impact it will bring to Rwanda’s TVET students and teachers.

Are you interested in building an impactful partnership in Rwanda? Contact us at info@traide.org or connect directly with Titus van Boekel to explore potential collaboration.