National Youth Service (NYS) Courses Offered
Course Summary
- Training Programmes
- Agriculture Production
The National Youth Service commence with practical civic training and voluntary service at inception in 1999, while implementation of skills training phase commenced with the establishment and furnishing of training workshops and recruitment of training officers at Rietfontein training centre in 2008
Due to limited facilities at Rietfontein, a new training centre has been opened at Ondangwa in Oshana region in 2010, mainly catering for Civic Training and hosting temporary three trades for Skills Training.
The training programmes offered currently are as follows:
• Phase 1: Civic Training;
• Phase 2: National Voluntary Service; and
• Phase 3: Skills Training.
Civic Education
Phase 1: Civic Training
This phase of training is offered for a minimum period of three months and is aimed at:
- Uplifting the general level of discipline among recruits;
- Inculcate a sense of patriotism among the trainees; and
- Develop the youth into individuals with good physical and mental endurance, exemplary moral and ethical character, and integrity.
National Voluntary Service
Phase 2: National Voluntary Service
The National Voluntary Service is offered for a minimum period of six months. It is during this phase of training that recruits are posted to serve on various projects that are of national importance around the country.
This has necessitated NYS to engage and enter into agreements with various stakeholders and authorities at local and national levels. The Ministry of Health and Social Services is one of the stakeholders benefiting from this programme as NYS continue to deploy recruits to hospitals and medical centres around the country to carry out non-nursing services such as packing medicine in the pharmacy, cleaning and administrative work.
Many communities in the rural areas continue to suffer from a lack of road infrastructure. In response to requests from regional Councils country-wide, NYS recruits successfully completed the de-bushing of an 80km road between Eengondi-Olukupa and Onkumbula, in Okankolo Constituency, and 29km road at Anamulenge Constituency, and have worked on a feeder road embankment at Oshikuku Constituency. The Service recruits have equally participated in a number of national voluntary service undertakes including continuous participation in agricultural production at various NYS agricultural projects.
Skills Training
Phase 3: Skills Training
This is the last phase of the National Youth Service training programme, and recruits are given the opportunity to commence with skills training in one of the following fields up to vocational training level three.
- Hospitality and food beverage;
- Plumbing and pipe fitting;
- Metal Fabrication;
- Joinery and Cabinet Making;
- Bricklaying and plastering;
- Hairdressing and Cosmetology;
- Automotive mechanics; and
- Office Administration.
Supplementary Subjects:
Regardless of the trades pursued by the youth, all trainees are compelled to undartake these subjects in order to upgrade their proficiency in general numeracy and literacy with a view to coping with chosen trades. These are:
- Information Communication Technology Fundamentals;
- Communication;
- Entrepreneurship;
- Technical Drawing;
- Mathematics;
- Engineering Science; and
- Building Science.
This phase of training is offered for a period of two to three years depending on the trade and the levels offered. Job attachment is required for all the trades and NYS facilitates the process as the organisation has entered into agreements with various institutions both private and public.
Agricultural Production
Agriculture is one of the areas that contribute to the GDP of Namibia. In order for the National Youth Service to be self sustaining, the organisation is involved in crop production (mahangu, white and yellow maize, sunflower seeds and vegetables) and livestock farming at its farms and centres, as follows:
Farm Rietfontein
- Farm Rietfontein is situated between Otavi and Grootfontein in the Otjozondjupa region.
- Total hectors of land: 1616.23ha
- Type of crops produced: White & yellow maize, vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, onions, and spinach) and Blue Buffet Hay.
- Livestock: cattle, goats, Sheep and Kudus
Farm Berg Aukas
- Berg Aukas is situated in the Otjozondjupa area between Grootfontein and Rundu.
- Total hectors of land: 308ha
- Type of crops produced: white and yellow maize, vegetables (spinach, cabbage, onions, green peppers) and water melons.
Farm Gemsbokspan
- Farm Kangongo is situated in Otjozondjupa Region.
- Total hectors of land: 7222ha
- Type of farming activities: Livestock
Farm Omauni
- This farm is situated in Ohangwena region, Okongo Constituency.
- Total hectors of land: 100ha
- Type of crops produced: Mahangu, Sunflower and ground nuts.
Farm Eunda
- Farm Eunda is situated in Omusati Region
- Total hectors of land: 40ha
- Type of farming activities: Hoticulture Production
