Remember Deketeke Zimpapers Writer
ACTING President Dr Kembo Mohadi has rallied graduates to complement their academic qualifications with digital literacy, critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills to remain competitive in a changing job market and contribute to economic development.
Addressing the Next Step Graduates Conference 2026 in Harare yesterday in a speech read on his behalf by Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire,
Acting President Mohadi said technological advances were transforming workplaces, requiring young people to embrace continuous learning and innovation.
“Graduation is not the end of your learning journey; it is the beginning of a new responsibility to apply your knowledge, create value, and contribute to national development,” he said.
Held under the theme, “Preparing graduates for career excellence and entrepreneurial success”, the conference brought together graduates, policymakers, industry representatives and other stakeholders to explore employment and business opportunities.
Acting President Mohadi said artificial intelligence, automation and digital technologies were creating opportunities for young people to establish businesses, improve productivity and develop solutions to national challenges.
“Artificial intelligence offers our economy immense opportunities to create businesses, improve productivity and develop solutions to our national challenges.
“I encourage our young people to embrace technology, understand it and use it responsibly to create opportunities for themselves and others,” he said.
Government would continue prioritising skills development, vocational training, innovation and the modernisation of education to meet the changing needs of the economy, he added.
Acting President Mohadi called for stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industry to ensure graduates acquire practical competencies that translate into productive opportunities.
“Our graduates must be equipped, not only with qualifications, but also with digital literacy, critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and the ability to learn continuously,” he said.
Acting President Mohadi said approximately 2,4 million young people were outside education, employment and training, warning that their potential needed to be harnessed through coordinated efforts to expand economic opportunities.
“Out of this figure are millions of aspirations and talents that our country cannot afford to leave untapped,” he said.
He said there was a need for Government, employers, training institutions, financial institutions and development partners to work together to address youth unemployment.
Employers should help bridge the gap between education and the workplace, while financial institutions and development partners should explore ways of supporting viable youth-led enterprises.
Acting President Mohadi urged graduates not to view formal employment as the only path to success, encouraging them to explore opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, mining and technology.
“Employment is one pathway to success, but entrepreneurship, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, technology and other productive activities also offer opportunities to create wealth and
livelihoods because our country is well endowed in these sectors,” he said.
He also encouraged young people to start small, seek mentorship, build professional networks and develop their ideas into viable businesses.
The Acting President said youth participation was critical to Zimbabwe’s ambition of attaining an empowered, prosperous and upper-middle-income society by 2030.
He also welcomed the proposed establishment of The Next Step Hub as a platform for mentorship, networking, masterclasses and access to opportunities.
He challenged the organisers, My Africa Child and Youth Development Organisation Global, and their partners to ensure the initiative delivers tangible results, including stronger employer
connections and support for youth-led enterprises.
“Our success must be measured, not only by the number of graduates attending this conference, but also by the opportunities and achievements that follow,” he said.
Acting President Mohadi challenged graduates to apply their skills and innovation to national development, saying the country needed young people who could create opportunities rather than
simply seek them.
