Graduates wait so long for employment that the skills they acquired in classrooms are outdated before they get an opportunity to use them.
This is according to the Annual Priority Skills Report 2026 by the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC). The report identifies prolonged waiting periods for employment, limited job opportunities and skills mismatches as major challenges confronting the local labour market. It was presented to the Ministry of Finance on September 15, 2026 and is intended to guide education planning and the alignment of training with current and future labour demand.
The report says most industries have limited job openings because of slow economic growth. As a result, manpower estimates indicate relatively low numbers of future openings. “Graduates’ waiting period for employment is too long because of limited job opportunities and their skills become outdated,” the report states.
The report suggests that obtaining a qualification is increasingly no guarantee of a smooth transition from education into employment. The HRDC report also identifies a second problem as it notes that Botswana is producing large numbers of graduates with general qualifications while employers are increasingly looking for specialized skills. According to the report, government sponsorship has traditionally focused largely on general qualifications. This has contributed to saturation in some fields while employers continue to struggle to find people with the specialised capabilities required by industry. The report further raises concern about inadequate industry exposure among both trainers and students.
Industry stakeholders have questioned the quality of graduates from some local education and training providers because of insufficient exposure to real workplace environments. Human-resource management challenges, including remuneration, vacancies and budget constraints, are also identified as factors affecting skills development.
Tourism, agriculture and the creative industries are also identified as sectors requiring modernisation through technology and stronger value chains. The HRDC says Botswana therefore needs a future-ready workforce capable of adapting to changing economic conditions rather than simply accumulating qualifications.
The report warns that Botswana also lacks an effective system for transferring indigenous knowledge from one generation to another. It attributes this partly to the perception that learning can only take place through formal classroom education. The HRDC is calling for a fundamental shift away from qualification-driven education towards skills-based training.
The objective is to move away from a mindset in which people go to school primarily to obtain employment towards one that promotes entrepreneurship, job creation, research, development and innovation.
The report recommends accelerating Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) while strengthening technical and vocational education and training. It proposes rationalising TVET programmes and institutions and establishing centres of excellence focused on emerging and future skills including digital and green skills.
It also recommends industry simulations to give students practical experience before entering the workplace. Private-sector participation should be strengthened through greater involvement in curriculum development as well as trainer and student attachments. The report recommends that sponsorship should focus more heavily on priority skills linked to NDP12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, with skills forecasts guiding the number of students sponsored in different fields. The report identifies the digital, green and care economies as important drivers of future demand, with skills in artificial intelligence, data analytics, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, specialised healthcare and education expected to become increasingly important.
Tourism, agriculture and the creative industries are also identified as sectors requiring modernisation through technology and stronger value chains. The HRDC says Botswana therefore needs a future-ready workforce capable of adapting to changing economic conditions rather than simply accumulating qualifications.
