The information was provided by Albano Ferreira, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, this Thursday, on the sidelines of the first Ordinary Session of the Interministerial Commission for Coordination, Implementation and Evaluation of the National Human Capital Development Plan, held under the guidance of the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa.
In statements to the press, cited in a Government statement to which VerAngola had access, the minister stated that the "Executive intends to expand the offer of courses in the areas of engineering, technology and science, which are priorities for the country's development".
On the occasion, the minister stated that the "higher education offer is currently focused on Social Sciences and Humanities", generating a considerable deficit in the technology sectors.
He therefore highlighted the country's urgent need for more engineers, technology specialists, among others.
"Angola urgently needs more engineers, technology specialists, professionals in agricultural sciences, animal husbandry, communication and information technologies, digital transformation, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, production engineering and chemical engineering," he said.
According to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, of the approximately 1,120 courses that exist, more than half (73 percent) are offered by private higher education institutions and approximately 30 percent by public institutions.
"The majority are in the areas of Social Sciences and Humanities, and a redirection to technological courses is necessary, aligned with the demands of human capital development," the statement reads.
"In this vein, we want to take on the responsibility of regulating this training offer and invite, above all, partners in the Higher Education subsystem of the private sector to find a way to expand the offer of courses in the areas of engineering, technology and science, which are priorities for the development of our country," the minister highlighted.
At the meeting, the committee assessed the Strategy for Regulating the Training Offer and Creation of Undergraduate Higher Education Courses in the National Territory – Preliminary Approach, which aims to establish "a regulatory framework for the creation, expansion and consolidation of undergraduate courses in higher education".
"Other topics discussed at the meeting included the transition of teachers trained in the 2nd edition of the Master's Courses in Specific Teaching Methodologies to MESCTI and the Transition Plan for the Initial Training Offer for Secondary Education Teachers to Higher Education Pedagogical Education – Preliminary Approach", states the statement, which informs that the logo of the National Human Capital Development Plan (ACH) 2023-2037 was also approved at the session.
The committee was also informed about the "entry into the Ministry of Education (MED) of graduates, within the scope of the Implementation of the Project 'Revitalization of Technical Education and Vocational Training – (RETFOP)', and about the re-edition of the master's courses in Specific Teaching Methodologies".
In addition, the meeting also served to address the "status of the implementation of the ACH Operational Plan 2023-2037, referring to the year 2024 and the planning for 2025".
