4 Mutare Poly students shine in World Professional Skills competitions

 

 

Charity Mambondiyani recently in BELARUS

 

MUTARE Polytechnic students recently joined more than 100 participants from the EAEU states, China, Pakistan at the VI Republican Competition of Professional Skills ‘ProfSkills Belarus.

 

The competitions were held in the Belarusian capital, Minsk from May 23 to 26.

 

In her opening remarks, the UNDP Resident Representative, Renfei Liu, who was the guest of honour, said the world is now confronted with multiple crises which need urged solutions.

 

“Complex challenges and opportunities pierce all the fabrics of our society, and they demand innovative solutions and adaptability,” Liu said.

 

She said in today’s world, digitalisation, automation, Artificial Intelligence are reshaping economies and redefining labour markets worldwide.

 

“The scale of this transformation is staggering. By 2030, 19 million new tech jobs will emerge globally. This signals the urgent need for workforce readiness. UNDP recognises this shift. We are strategically focused on fostering new jobs. But not only new professions are emerging. New skills are a must,” Liu said.

 

 

The competitions were organised by the Belarusian Republic Institute of Vocational Education (RIPO), an organisation in the field of scientific and methodological support, educational and consulting services.

 

The Rector of the Republican Institute of Vocational Education, Valery Golubovsky, said the participants from the EAEU states, China, Pakistan and Zimbabwe demonstrated their skills in 29 competencies.

 

At the same time, representatives of the education sector from different countries including China, Zimbabwe and Pakistan took part in a business programme, and discussed the most pressing issue in the field of education and industry in their respective countries.

 

“The delegations shared their experiences, told us how the vocational education system is developing in their countries, reported on important innovations and problems, and outlined common points of interaction,” Golubovsky said.

 

Four students from the departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical and Tourism and Hospitality at Mutare Polytechnic participated in the competitions.

 

Civil Engineering National Diploma 3 students, Bromley Chitanha and Keith Muzekenyi participated in the Building Information Modelling (BIM) competency which involved the creation of information model of the construction project using the appropriate software.

 

Muzekenyi said they were tasked to utilise Building Information Model (BIM) software to produce a Sports and Fitness Centre (SFC) that included maintenance rooms, spa with swimming pool, sports hall, gym, café and a vehicle parking area.

 

“The challenge required Broomley who is my teammate and I to collaboratively design the architectural appearance of the facility while adhering to specific site planning, architectural, and structural requirements,” Muzekenyi said.

 

Muzekenyi said they faced some hurdles with the computer as it was programmed in Russian language, but they managed to demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and teamwork to successfully complete their designs.

 

“We came fourth out of the countries that participated in this category which included China, Russia and Belarus,” Muzekenyi said.

 

 

Speaking after the competitions, Mutare Polytechnic Head of Department Civil Engineering, Mr Tinotenda Ndangana said information modelling of a construction project BIM was a new step in the field of design and construction management, as it allowed for the joint work of different participants in an investment project and timely updating of the information model at key stages of project implementation such as concept creation, investment justification, design, construction and operation.

 

“The information model of a construction project is no longer a disparate set of individual sections of the project, as is the case with traditional 2D design, but a comprehensive, interconnected information model that allows for prompt decision-making during the construction and operation of the project. Creating a digital model of a construction site allows one to optimise resources and ultimately reduce the cost of construction and operation of the site,” Mr Ndangana said.

 

Mutare Polytechnic Tourism and Hospitality Management National Certificate student, Nyasha Chanyuka, competed in the restaurant service category were tasks involved banquet, fine dining, bar and barista.

 

“The tasks were very interesting to me and challenging. The three tasks were okay except fine dining task which was a bit challenging for me because the task involved the preparation of 12 different napkin folds in 40 minutes, and I  managed to complete 10 folds because of time,” Chanyuka said.

 

The college’s Mechanical Engineering National Diploma student, Winston Nyakabau competed in the mechanical engineering CAD.

 

The tasks involved the creation of three dimensional models and assemblies, reverse engineering as well as working with metal profile and sheet metal.

 

Mutare Polytechnic principal, Ms Poniso Watema said attending the VI Republican Competition of Professional Skills ‘ProfSkills Belarus’ was an immensely enriching experience for both our students and the institution. Such competitions are a vital platform for exposing our students to global standards, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative practices in various vocational fields.

 

“Our students demonstrated remarkable skill, adaptability, and team work. Their performance reflects the quality of training we provide at Mutare Polytechnic,” Ms Watema said.

 

Other countries that participated include China, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Uzbekistan, and Republic of Tajikistan