Republic of Mauritius- National Skills Development Strategy 2019-2023 to address skills mismatch

The objectives of the NSDS are to chart the pathway for skills development, assess the current status and set up of a skills development system in Mauritius and identity future skills development requirements in line with Government’s vision. Moreover, it seeks to identity themes and areas in the skills development system that would require change and improvement and propose actionable recommendations that will improve the current set-up.

In his address, the Director of the HRDC, Mr Raj Auckloo, underlined that the formulation of the NSDS is in its third and final stage, having started last year.  He expressed gratitude to the AFD and SFERE for having provided considerable technical assistance to the HRDC in the implementation of the project.

He stressed on the need for Mauritius to have a plan as regards human resource development and emphasised that the NSDS is a national strategic plan which is crucial to promote a skills development system that responds to the country’s labour market needs.  This document, he said, will serve as an important reference tool for human resource development and skills planning for the next five years.

As for the Chairperson of the HRDC, Mr Gunness Balnock, he highlighted that the NSDS addresses key issues namely skills mismatch in the labour market and remains an essential strategy for the development of the nation.  It will cater for the requisite of a highly skilled human capital and a responsive skills development system by ensuring that the country has a strong labour force with a population that is equipped with the right skills and having a sense of purpose, he added.

According to the Chairperson, the generation to come will hugely benefit from this initiative while the socioeconomic landscape will be positively impacted with more competitive use of labour force locally and internationally and will face no shortage of skills.

The project consists of ten key strategies anchored in three main strategic clusters including the strengthening of the education and training system, improving skills system effectiveness and tackling skills imbalances.