HRDC Steps In to Close the Gap in Student Leadership

The National Human Resource Development Strategy (NHRDS) calls for a strengthened educational system that boasts strategic capacity to be coherent, cohesive and with the capability to provide the human resources that Botswana’s future requires. But many reasons including limited resources across our tertiary institutions disallow for capacity-building in student leadership. HRDC became alive to the reality and acted under its student welfare services to empower the Student Representative Council’s. This capacitation was led by HRDC’s Department of HRDP(Supply) from the 24^th -25^th October at Ave Maria, Gaborone. The leadership workshop was attended by close to 50 student leaders from across tertiary institutions’ Student Representative Councils (SRCs).

The objectives of the workshop were to equip the Student Leaders with essential leadership skills and competencies, identify areas for further enhancement of student leadership competencies, sound decision making, handling group dynamics and conflict management at their institutions.Ms Marianyana Selelo, Manager, Student Welfare, while welcoming the participants, implored them to think and reflect on the objectives of the workshop and their desired leadership effects in the future and at the world of work. She said, “When we take responsibility, we admit we are the ones responsible for the choices we make about our future. We, not other people or events, are responsible for the way we map out the future, in other words, our destiny is shaped by the thinking, decision and action one takes today”.

Dr Ella Matshediso, Director, HRDP (Supply) officially opening the workshop said, “In setting out to achieve the intended goal, the NHRDS emphasises personal responsibility as an integral part in ensuring that Botswana is pulled forward to meet the challenges of responding to the human resource development needs. The NHRDS model puts weight on personal responsibility being exercised and maintained by students throughout the different phases of learning up to graduation and ultimately joining the world of work”. 

According to Lucky Kgosithebe, Workplace Planner (Academic) and also the convener of the workshop, this training seeks to nurture student leadership by inculcating critical leadership skills such as negotiations, leading a vision, understanding of various leadership theories and paradigms which are relevant in the 21^st century. Indeed, as Kgosithebe amplified: “The outcome of this training in the medium to long-term is to assist in moulding of young leaders who are able to sustain institutions that they lead and more importantly survive in a highly dynamic world”.
Therefore, by accepting that responsibility, the student leaders unleashed the great power that transformed themselves. After all, this is what the NHRDS means by Personal Responsibility.

In conclusion, the student leaders collectively appreciated the opportunity to have attended the workshop. They gained deeper understanding of multicultural competency as they got to deal or work with learners from different areas across Botswana at their institutions. They were able to define their leadership values and philosophies through self-awareness exercises and demonstrated how their role as student leaders will be applied to their future.