adminNEW graduands have been urged to embrace the national agenda for sustainable development of the nation by striving to be employment creators rather than mere employees.
Speaking as guest of honour at the recently held Mutare Polytechnic graduation ceremony, Mutare Garments managing director, Mr Job Torindo, said the skills acquired by the graduands should be used to counter the devastating effects of the economic challenges facing the nation through employment creation.
Said Mr Torindo: “I would like to assure you graduands that the knowledge and skills you have acquired at this institution are adequate for you to become job creators and active economic players. You have no excuses therefore not to make a difference in your respective domains. See yourselves as creating opportunities rather than having opportunities created for you.
“Mutare Polytechnic took cognisance of the fact that there are limited opportunities for formal employment owing to the currently prevailing economic situation. It is in this light that the institution introduced programmes that aim to mitigate poverty through employment creation and empowerment. You are the opportunity that others are waiting to happen.”
The 18th enterprise development graduation ceremony saw the institution awarding vocational training certificates to a total of 476 graduands, 337 of them being females. The college principal, Mrs Poniso Watema, said the graduands were more than ready to contribute towards the nation’s socio-economic development.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. I am more than confident that you can make it happen because you have been equipped with the adequate skills and the choice is now yours to be employed or to employ. Either way, go yea therefore and be employers and employees who are proudly Zimbabwean and lift the Mutare Polytechnic flag high,” she said.
She added that the number of women undertaking these courses was a clear demonstration that the college was more than committed to partner Government in addressing the gender imbalance in professional training institutions.
This year’s graduation theme was: Capacity building through continuing education for empowerment and socio economic transformation.
Online Reporter