On 20th March 2017, Ambassador Thomas J.C. Chen and the Hon. Jabulani Mabuza, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade attended the annual graduation ceremony of the National Handicraft Training Centre (NHTC), which was co-founded by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Kingdom of Swaziland in 1974.
Ambassador Chen commended the 69 graduates (17 in the sewing department, 8 in fine arts and ceramics, 14 in Electrical plumbing, 19 in computer courses and 11 in metal work) for their nine-month hard work that has borne fruit in their employment. He further emphasized the importance of the strong ties between the Republic of China on Taiwan and the Kingdom of Swaziland. Ambassador Chen said: “The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has always been supportive of the vocational training in the Kingdom because it can help create more jobs and improve the country’s economy.”
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Minister Mabuza said the graduating students should make use of the skills they have obtained to start and grow businesses in order to compete with other businesses. Mabuza said he has been made aware of the history of the NHTC which dates back to 1974. “It was established with the cooperation between the Kingdom and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Then it was called the Handicraft Development Centre, where handicrafts were designed, tested and developed,” he said.
Ambassador Chen makes remarks at the ceremony
VIPs at the ceremony