The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) organized July 9, a workshop on“Development of short courses programs”.
The five-day workshop aims at developing the necessary skills of conservation organizations and individuals in the central Africa in fields related to sustainable forest and natural resources management.
The workshop was organized through KCCEM (Kitabi College of Conservation of Environmental Management in conjunction with Network of Forestry and environmental management institutions in Central Africa (RIFFEAC) with the support from GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation).
The workshop taking place (9th -13th July) is convened at La PalisseNyandungu-Kigali.
Participants are drawn from Higher Education institutions in various countries including Gabon, DRC, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon, Burundi, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Germany and Rwanda.
They will share knowledge, skills and experience to deal with sustainable management of forests and biodiversity, while developing a curriculum of mid-level career professionals and communities needed in the region.
Nasasira Richard the Acting Principal of Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management (KCCEM) told said that 30 participants will discuss developing short courses for capacity enhancement in as far as sustainable management of forests and biodiversity is in general.
He added that participants will learn from the Rwandan experiences on how trainings have been planned, executed and monitored.
A field excursion in south west of Rwanda, where KCCEM is located at the edge of Nyungwe National Park will demonstrate how the college has organized and trained different groups of communities around Nyungwe National Park in conserving biodiversity.
To challenge the skills gap in the mid-level management of the regions’ Natural resources, the government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Board of Development (RDB), established Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management (KCCEM) aimed at developing capacity for Conservation and Environmental Management and tourism mid-level professionals in the Albertine rift region.
Participants will be enabled to design and develop training programs that meet the training needs for management of natural resource challenges that include; lack of skilled personnel, as most skilled personnel are attracted by other high-level jobs.
He noted,“We are joined here to work together to make sure that we contribute and add value to the present and future workforce that will lead our nations to the desired sustainable Development”NASASIRA, The KCCEM Principal emphasized.
The workshop is aimed at facilitating all the network member institutions to develop short term training programs that will bridge the skills gap provided to highly trained personnel and the mid mid-level professionals who in most cases do much in the conservation sector.
NASASIRA added that “the workshop will address the issue of qualified personnel who tend to seek employment outside of protected areas, which results in a skill gap in the mid-level management of the Albertine Rift’s natural resources, a problem that is common in all central African countries”.
To find a sustainable solution, institutions in central African countries are advised to work together, contribute and add value to the present and future workforce that will lead our nations to the desired sustainable Development through very useful short term training programs.
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