In the heart of southern Malawi, where the Shire Highlands begin their descent towards the Great Rift Valley, the Comboni Technical College (CTC) offers many young people hope for a better future.
For decades, the educational aspiration in Malawi has been simple: a job in an office, wearing a tie, and sitting at a desk. However, as the global economy shifts its focus, this narrow outlook has resulted in a skills shortage, leaving thousands of graduates unemployed while the nation’s infrastructure cries out for builders.
Founded and run by the Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Technical College is based on the belief that manual labour is a form of prayer and a path to freedom. By elevating technical trades to a professional art form, the college is changing cultural attitudes.
Here, being a carpenter, welder or electrician is not a last resort, but a strategic way to enter the private sector.
CTC’s success in fostering self-employment is no accident. It is based on a two-pronged approach designed to enable students to apply their knowledge to creating jobs as entrepreneurs. These two pillars are: The first is Rigorous Technical Mastery. Students don’t just learn to ‘fix’ things; they study the principles that underpin them. Subjects include Electrical Installation and Electronics, Tailoring and Fashion Design, Carpentry and Joinery, Fabrication, Welding and General Fitting. The focus is on achieving work of an international standard of precision.
The second is the entrepreneurial mindset. Every student is taught that they are part of a business. The rich Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) curriculum includes practical modules that prepare young people for working life.
The true measure of Comboni Technical College can be seen in the lives of those who no longer wait for a paycheque, but instead create their own.
Jane Phiri enrolled on the Electrical Installation programme at a time when his family was struggling to afford basic necessities. “I thought I needed to move to Blantyre to find a job,” he says. However, he noticed the lack of reliable power in his home village instead. ‘At CTC, I learned that my hands are my greatest asset. I started by wiring small houses and installing solar kits for farmers. Today, I have two apprentices working under me. I am not looking for a job; I am providing one for them.”
Grace stood out in the Motor Vehicle Mechanics workshop, a field dominated by men. She now runs a mobile repair service. “People are surprised when they see a woman under the hood of their truck,” she says. Nevertheless, the engine doesn’t care about your gender; it cares about your skill. Lunzu gave me the confidence to stand on my own two feet. I am self-employed, independent, and building my own garage.”
The work of human hands is Malawi’s most sustainable resource. At Comboni Technical College, we don’t just teach students how to earn a living; we teach them how to make a difference. In Lunzu, the idea of the ‘jobless graduate’ is becoming a thing of the past. A new generation of self-reliant, skilled and proud entrepreneurs is rising in its place. They are the proof. They are the future.
