REGISTRATION SCHEDULE : 2026
May 4, 2026The Industrial and Vocational Training Board (IVTB) held a two-day induction workshop at the Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini, bringing together members of the newly constituted Board for a comprehensive orientation into their statutory mandate and governance responsibilities. The Directorate of Industrial and Vocational Training (DIVT), under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, coordinated the workshop as part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening institutional governance within Eswatini’s vocational training sector.
| About the Facilitator — Rabison Shumba : The workshop was facilitated by Rabison Shumba, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vumilia Africa Group, a Pan-African skills development, training and business consulting firm. He brings over two decades of commercial and strategic management experience gained across organisations including CompuServe, Anglo American Corporation and Econet Wireless, with particular expertise in governance, risk and compliance, leadership and change management. A widely travelled conference speaker and author, he has facilitated governance and leadership programmes for business and public-sector clients across Africa and internationally, and was selected by the United States Department of State in 2011 to represent Zimbabwe on the Young African Leaders Initiative exchange programme. |
DIVT and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security wish to extend sincere gratitude to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Eswatini for its generous support towards the financing of the IVTB Induction Workshop. This partnership reflects UNDP’s continued commitment to strengthening national institutions and advancing skills development for Eswatini’s youth, and DIVT looks forward to building on this collaboration in the work ahead.
What the Workshop Covered
The workshop was structured around two broad themes delivered over the two days:
- Day 1 — Board Mandate and Corporate Governance: an in-depth grounding in the IVT Act, the Board’s statutory duties and functions, and corporate governance principles aligned with the King V code, including how these apply to the Board’s oversight of IVTB’s mandate.
- Day 2 — AI for Board Function: an introduction to Artificial Intelligence for Boards, including a practical look at AI use cases relevant to IVTB’s work, supported by an engagement session on the S4Y (Skills for Youth) EU Project.
The programme also featured a welcome and context-setting session on the strategic importance of IVTB in national development, together with an engagement segment led by UNDP on pathways for out-of-school youth into artisanal skills development and the broader national skills framework.
Board Attendance
The workshop was attended by sixteen (16) members of the IVT Board, drawn from government ministries, employer bodies, organised labour, professional bodies and DIVT, reflecting the multi-stakeholder composition mandated for the Board.
| Board Member | Constituency Represented |
| Dr. Thandiwe Hlatshwayo | Business Eswatini |
| Mr. Earnest Simelane | DIVT |
| Mr. Lucky Phakathi | DIVT |
| Mr. Fanana Mhlongo | Ministry of Agriculture |
| Ms. Sharon Maziya | Institute of People Management (IPM) |
| Mr. Maqakala Dlamini | DIVT |
| Ms. Qondile Zwane | Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MOLSS) |
| Ms. Gcebile Dlamini | Business Eswatini |
| Mr. Samuel Mabila | FESBC |
| Mr. Maphevu Fakudze | TUCOSWA |
| Mr. Mngcini Dlamini | TUCOSWA |
| Mr. Nkosingiphile Zwane | Ministry of Public Works |
| Ms. Zanele Khoza | FESWATU |
| Dr. Buyisile Dladla | Ministry of Education and Training |
| Mr. Bongani Mdluli | Special Skills |
| Mr. Mpendulo R. Mvubu | Ministry of Public Works and Transport |
DIVT congratulates the IVTB Board members on the successful completion of the induction workshop and thanks all partners, including UNDP Eswatini, for their continued support of Eswatini’s vocational training sector. Further updates on the Board’s work will be shared on this platform in due course.
