Don Bosco Catholic Technical and Vocational College is one of the over 430 Catholic Educational Institutions in Ethiopia. The College currently has a total of 220 students studying printings and graphics, metal manufacturing and electricity in regular and evening programs. Moreover, it offers free technical training to students from low-income family, refugees and anyone who needs the capacity training. This is part of the Church’s efforts to combat migration by providing the youth with the skills to create job opportunities for themselves within their own country.
According to Fr. Lijo Vadakkan, Dean of the College, Don Bosco Catholic Technical and Vocational College (TVET) strives to offer quality education to its students. He explains that the Strategic Plan 2019 – 2023 of Don Bosco educational institutions stresses quality of education and commitment of the Salesians of Don Bosco and this is achieved through continuous capacity building of teachers to ensure quality education is offered to students.
“We strive to offer maximum quality education to our students and make sure they become only one of the best in their field of work. As a matter of fact, our campus the Don Bosco Catholic Technical and Vocational College is a Center of Competency (CoC) center for the government. That is like a form of recognition from the government for our quality of education and services. If you notice all our [teaching] machines are of latest products and the students receive on-hand trainings on with equipment that they may use once they join the work force,” Fr. Lijo said.
The College is one of the few like institutions in Ethiopia that is equipped with state-of-the-art education materials and teaching machineries that is producing very capable students. The Don Bosco Catholic Religious Congregation has currently has 8 primary, 5 secondary, and 7 vocational and technical schools and 1 house for children at risk in different parts of the country.
The Salesians of Don Bosco usually known as SDB and founded by St. John Bosco (“Father and Teacher of Youth”), is a religious society of the Catholic Church dedicated to the education and evangelization of youth.
The Salesians of Don Bosco began work in Ethiopia since 1975. The Salesians of Don Bosco have a well-established presence in four regional states and one administrative city of Ethiopia: Tigray Regional State (Adigrat, Adwa, Mekelle, Shire), Gambella Regional State (Gambella and Pugnido), Southern Nations National People Regional State (Soddo and Dilla), Oromia Regional State (Ziway, Adami Tullu and Debre Zeit) and Addis Ababa City Administration.
Source: Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat