Today, @ClaudetteIrere, Hon. Minister of State for Education, officiated the closing of the @RwandaPolytec Skills Challenge 2026 – #Hackathon, bringing to a close over two weeks of innovation, collaboration and industry-driven problem-solving. Speaking during the ceremony, Hon. Irere described the initiative as a clear reflection of Rwanda’s ambition to build a knowledge-based economy powered by skills, innovation, and stronger links between education and industry. “Today, @RwandaPolytec is demonstrating that #TVET is not merely producing graduates, but actively engineering solutions to operational challenges within industry,” she noted. She urged private sector partners to view students not simply as trainees, but as future technical architects capable of driving industrial growth, adding that their creativity, technical competence, and resilience are key to unlocking the potential of Rwanda’s industries. Hon. Irere also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the innovations developed through the Hackathon are scalable and ready for industrial adoption or incubation. Commending the students, she noted that their performance throughout the challenge demonstrated the professionalism, technical ability, and determination needed to help drive Rwanda’s transformation forward. She also expressed appreciation to the leadership of @RwandaPolytec, industry partners, mentors, and development partners whose collaboration made the initiative possible, calling for continued partnerships that transform academic excellence into national prosperity and industrial pride. The Hackathon brought together 48 graduating students who worked in 18 teams to address six real industry challenges provided by @AlwaysInyange, @airtelrw, @reg_rwanda, @delorenzoglobal, @GAMICO_LTD, and @remco_rw. The Hackathon concluded with the recognition of winning teams across the different clusters.