TMCnet News

Nys Instils Discipline in Trainees
[August 01, 2014]

Nys Instils Discipline in Trainees


(AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NATIONAL Youth Service (NYS) trainees are disciplined, loyal and patriotic citizens, commissioner Onesmus Upindi has claimed.

He was speaking during a media briefing at the NYS Rietfontein training centre in the Otjozondjupa region on Wednesday, where he said the primary purpose of the youth training centres is to uplift the general level of discipline and morale among trainees.



The NYS has training centres in Henties Bay in the Erongo region, Ondangwa in the Oshana region and Rietfontein in the Otjozondjupa region.

"We aim at instilling a sense of patriotism in trainees through our civic programmes, which prepare them to be patriotic, loyal and disciplined," said Upindi.


He added that the civic training is centred mostly on coaching the youths to be physically strong, and to "transform their bad behaviour and character".

The NYS manager for corporate communications and public relations, Johanna Kambala said about 559 trainees were recruited during May this year.

The civic training programme runs for between three and 12 months.

"The civic training is more on military drilling, which is aimed at instilling discipline in the youths," she said.

Besides this training, the youth are also taught about the Namibian Constitution and various government policies and programmes.

Kambala said the trainees are obliged to undertake courses in information and communication technology fundamentals, entrepreneurship, technical drawings and mathematics, among others.

After the civic training, the youths can then volunteer to be deployed at hospitals and medical centres around the country, where they assist to pack medicines in pharmacies and also perform office administration duties. The voluntary programmes take between six and 24 months.

After the volunteering programme, trainees are assessed and awarded second-level certificates by the Namibia Training Authority (NTA). These certificates are accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQ).

Kambala said the NYS's mandate is not to provide employment to trainees, but to prepare them for the job market or self-employment through equipping them with relevant skills.

However, the NYS faces several challenges, including a lack of infrastructure and limited financial resources.

The NYS became operational in 2008 after it was established by government in 2005.

Nampa Copyright The Namibian. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]