Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo
[email protected]
GOVERNMENT officials from six districts have been trained as accredited entrepreneurship coaches under a programme backed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), as Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to create jobs and improve livelihoods for women and young people through aquaculture, horticulture and goat production.
The training is being delivered under the Skills for Youth and Women Employability and Productivity (SYWEP) Project.
Launching the nine-day training programme in Bulawayo recently, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Mr Paul Nyoni, represented by deputy director Ms Tendai Mlilo, said Government remains committed to empowering women and youth as key drivers of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
“Women and young people constitute a significant proportion of our population and possess immense potential to contribute meaningfully to national development when provided with the necessary skills, resources, opportunities and support systems,” said Mr Nyoni.
The SYWEP Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training in partnership with the ILO and AfDB.
Its overall objective is to enhance employability, productivity, entrepreneurship and income generation through targeted skills development and support to market-oriented enterprises.
The project focuses on three strategic value chains with high job-creation potential — aquaculture, horticulture and goat production.
Implementation is underway in Mutasa, Goromonzi, Binga, Gweru, Mt Darwin and Insiza districts, where comprehensive business and market analyses have already been completed to inform the establishment of sustainable, market-driven Vocational Training Centre Business Units.
The studies assessed agro-ecological suitability, market demand, profitability, infrastructure needs, technical gaps and potential off-takers.
Mr Nyoni noted that AfDB had emphasised the need to expedite implementation as the project was behind schedule.
“As such, it is imperative that all partners remain committed and focused on delivering results within the agreed timelines,” he urged participants.
The SIYB programme, developed by the ILO, is one of the world’s most recognised entrepreneurship methodologies, having trained more than 15 million entrepreneurs and created over 10 million jobs in more than 100 countries over the past three decades.
Mr Nyoni said participants would play a critical role in extending entrepreneurship support to communities.
“You, the participants gathered here today, are not merely trainees. You are future trainers, coaches, facilitators and agents of change within your respective districts and institutions,” he said.
Participants will be equipped to train women and youth in business planning, financial management, marketing, customer relations, record keeping and productivity improvement.
“The success of this project will not be measured by the number of workshops conducted or reports produced.
Rather, it will be measured by the number of women and young people whose lives are transformed through sustainable economic opportunities,” he said.
ILO Country Director for Zimbabwe and Namibia Ms Philile Masuku said demand for accredited SIYB trainers in Zimbabwe continues to grow as entrepreneurship increasingly becomes central to job creation and livelihood opportunities.
“The demand for the services of accredited SIYB trainers in Zimbabwe is expanding due to increased focus on entrepreneurship and income generating projects and small business start-ups in creating jobs and livelihood opportunities,” she said.
The nine-day training-of-trainers programme seeks to strengthen local capacity and enable Government to expand accredited trainer services, particularly within aquaculture, goat production and horticulture value chains.
Following accreditation by globally recognised SIYB Master Trainers, participants will join a global network of trainers and gain access to updated training materials and methodologies.
Ms Masuku highlighted ILO evidence showing that SIYB training, when combined with access to loans or technical skills training, increases profits by up to 50 percent and serves as a powerful tool for job creation.
Between 2016 and 2020, approximately eight million new trainees were reached globally through the programme.
“SIYB is more than just a training programme; it is a transformative experience designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and mindset necessary to thrive in the ever-evolving business landscape,” she said.
The programme’s four packages — Generate Your Business (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), Improve Your Business (IYB) and Expand Your Business (EYB) — cater for different stages of enterprise development.
Ms Masuku said the initiative also contributes towards the National Development Strategy 2 and the Sustainable Development Goals targeted for achievement by 2030.
The Bulawayo training is expected to produce a new cohort of trainers who will roll out SIYB programmes to women and youth across the six project districts, helping transform subsistence activities into commercially viable enterprises.
