CHAPTER 47:04
VOCATIONAL TRAINING

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
Preliminary

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
Establishment, Constitution and Membership of Botswana Training Authority

    3.    Establishment of Botswana Training Authority

    4.    Principal objectives of Authority

    5.    Establishment of Board

    6.    Disqualification for appointment as a Board member

    7.    Vacation of office

    8.    Filling of vacancies

    9.    Payment of members

PART III
Meetings and Proceedings of the Board

    10.    Meetings of Board

    11.    Declaration of interest by members

    12.    Validity of acts or proceedings

    13.    Signification of documents

    14.    Power to delegate

    15.    Committees

    16.    Appointment of officers and employees

PART IV
Functions, Powers and Duties of Authority

    17.    Functions and powers of Authority

    18.    Directions by Minister

    19.    Power to require information

    20.    Botswana National Vocational Qualifications Framework

PART V
Vocational Training Fund and Financial Provisions

    21.    Vocational Training Fund

    22.    Funds of the Board

    23.    Powers to borrow money

    24.    Imposition of training levy

    25.    Evasion of levy

PART VI
Miscellaneous

    26.    Symbol or design of Authority

    27.    Issue of certificates

    28.    Annual Report

    29.    Protection from personal liability

    30.    Penalties

    31.    Power to make Regulations

    32.    Transitional provision

    33.    Savings

Act 22, 1998,
Act 4, 2012.

An Act to provide for the integration and promotion of vocational training and for matters connected or incidental thereto.

[Date of Commencement: 4 January 2000]

PART I
Preliminary (ss 1-2)

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Vocational Training Act.

2.    Interpretation

    (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    "apprentice" means an employee bound by a contract of apprenticeship;

    "Authority" means the Botswana Training Authority established under section 3;

    "Board" means the Board of the Authority established under section 5;

    "Chief Executive Officer" means the chief executive officer of the Authority appointed under section 16;

    "equivalences of vocational qualifications" means the same value of awards among various qualifications within the vocational training system being developed;

    "Framework" means the Botswana National Vocational Qualifications Framework established under section 20;

    "Fund" means the Vocational Training Fund established under section 21;

    "levy" means a training levy imposed under section 24;

    "national internship programme" means a programme which provides opportunities for experiential training by employers for graduate interns for a period of time specified by the Minister;

[4 of 2012, s. 2(a).]

    "retooling" means to retrain and re-organise for the purposes of updating and improving skills;

[4 of 2012, s. 2(a).]

    "technician level" means a training level leading to qualifications higher than those specified in the Framework under section 20;

    "trainees" means employees enrolled in and undergoing an approved programme in vocational training;

    "training institution" means a private or public centre, organisation, employer or person, providing vocational training; and

    "vocational training" means provision of skills, knowledge and attitudes up to certain specified levels of qualification below the technician level.

    (2) For the purposes of section 21 of the Act, the national internship programme and retooling shall be deemed to be vocational training.

[4 of 2012, s. 2(b).]

PART II
Establishment, Constitution and Membership
of Botswana Training Authority (ss 3-9)

3.    Establishment of Botswana Training Authority

    There is hereby established a training authority to be known as the Botswana Training Authority which shall be a body corporate with a common seal, capable of suing and being sued and subject to the provisions of this Act, of performing such acts as bodies corporate may, by law, perform.

4.    Principal objectives of Authority

    The principal objectives of the Authority shall be to—

    (a)    co-ordinate vocational training activities in order to achieve better integration and harmonisation of the vocational training system being developed;

    (b)    monitor and evaluate the performance of the vocational training system being developed in order to ensure the successful performance of all training activities; and

    (c)    advise on policy related issues of vocational training.

5.    Establishment of Board

    (1) There is hereby established a Board to exercise the powers and functions of the Authority which shall be composed of twenty members consisting of—

    (a)    one person appointed by the Minister, subject to subsection (2), as the chairperson of the Board;

    (b)    six persons appointed by the Minister representing the Government;

    (c)    three persons appointed by the Minister having a particular expertise in vocational training;

    (d)    ten persons to be appointed by the Minister upon being nominated as follows—

        (i)    4 members nominated by organisations for the time being representing employers;