adminMutsawashe Mashandure-Herald Correspondent
The Government is committed to equipping young individuals endowed with innate abilities and aptitude with the essential tools necessary to amplify their talents, fuel industry breakthroughs, and propel the realisation of the ambitious vision of 2030.
During a workshop held in Harare, Skills Audit and Development Minister Paul Mavhima emphasised the importance of proactively identifying and nurturing talent and skills within the provinces.
“We need to make sure there is a search for talent in every province so that we can find people with natural talents and skills that can contribute to the development of this country’s vision, he said.
“Our goal is to find those naturally talented youth without formal qualifications to train them so that one of the days they will be able to be technically skilled, whereby they can transform traditional things into technically, for example, things we cannot do by drums from other countries rather than equip those youths in order to improve in our technological industry.”
Minister Mavhima underscored the significance of recognising and nurturing innate abilities and technical proficiencies in young individuals, irrespective of their lack of formal qualifications.
“I don’t see how some of the skills can be required qualifications; for example, in the carpentry sector, there is no purpose to require five O Levels . I think as long as there is talent, they can do better. A lot of people have all the qualifications, but they cannot perform duties as per what they were trained for, “he said.
He said by identifying and empowering talented youths with technical aptitude, their lives can be significantly improved.
“By uplifting young individuals who lack formal qualifications but possess exceptional technical skills, I believe that by identifying and empowering talented youths with technical aptitude, their lives can be significantly improved.”
Minister Mavhima emphasised the importance of incorporating traditional knowledge into the country’s development efforts.
“In line with our ministry’s objectives, we will actively encourage individuals with innovative skills, particularly in the technology sector, to come forward. This will allow us to evaluate the potential for further innovation and development of their skills, ultimately benefiting our country,.
Minister Mavima expressed a bold vision for Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe’s dream should be more ambitious than that of America. We need to have people with skills to improve the development skills so that Zimbabwe can become a greener pasture country than America.
“Let us build our own nation and grasp some of the skills from other countries and bring them into development skills that can develop our industries into middle-class economic countries,” he said.
“Our country could achieve high levels of economic and social prosperity because it has the highest resource endowment per capital of any other nation.”
Minister Mavhima further advocated for fostering innovation within Zimbabwe, proposing a shift from exporting raw materials to other countries.
“Rather than sending our natural resources to be manufactured by other countries, let’s have our own industries do the process. Let’s follow our president’s mantra, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,.
“Let us build our own nation. Let’s grasp some of the skills from other countries and bring them into development skills that can develop our industries into middle-class economic countries.”
He said the Government was committed to training talented youth in vocational schools.
“I believe it is essential to provide vocational training to individuals with talent, enabling them to enhance their skills and contribute to the growth of our industrial sector by 2030. Instead of focusing solely on academic qualifications, we should prioritise nurturing talent. This approach will empower everyone and ensure that no one is left behind.”
The minister expressed his belief that by equipping youth with different skills, it would help them keep their minds busy.
“I believe that by equipping youth with different skills, obviously, the youth will stop drug and substance abuse as their minds will be focusing on improving their technical skills. Because a lot of youths get involved in drug and substance abuse, some fail to have all the qualifications required.”
Speaking at the same event, the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, emphasised the importance of establishing a regional hub to foster the growth of the transport economy by 2030.
“We need to have a regional hub for the global transportation economy by Vision 2030 that will ensure the secure movement of goods and enhance the growth of our economic and industrial sectors,” he said
Online Reporter