Graduates to get start-up capital

Talent Chimutambgi-Herald Reporter

GRADUATES willing to start their own schools and industrial projects as part of embracing employment creation in line with the country’s national aspirations will have support from Government.

Government introduced Heritage Based Education 5.0 with pillars that enable learning institutions to produce graduates capable of promoting innovation, research and industrialisation.

Officiating at the 47th Graduation Ceremony at Zintech Morgan Teachers College, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira, who was represented by his deputy Simelisizwe Sibanda, said the support was meant to propel the country towards a prosperous upper-middle income economy by 2030.

“The Second Republic is ready to support graduates who want to start their own schools and industrial startups. The work of the Government is to provide the necessary legal and financial support to enable our graduates to develop businesses, thereby creating employment for themselves and others,” said Prof Murwira.

“The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, pronounced our national vision to become an upper middle-income economy or better by 2030.

“Our role as a Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology development sector is to power the means to the attainment of this vision through imparting relevant knowledge and skills that cause this national development in all its forms”.

He said the education system was reconfigured to Heritage Based Education 5.0 to deliver the necessary capabilities towards the attainment of Vision 2030.

“Heritage Based Education 5.0 is our unique means to deliver our capabilities to produce new industries, as well as support existing industries, nekuti nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’,” Prof Murwira said.

The idea of Heritage Based education emanated from the concept of using the available natural resources to surmount existing challenges.

“The heritage concept is a deep concept. It means everything God gives. Heritage describes our plants, animals, minerals, water, climate, people and cultures. It is a heritage that defines our opportunities for deriving our survival as a people,” said Prof Murwira.

He said he was happy that the ongoing curriculum transformation in teachers’ colleges was focusing on innovation and industrialisation.

A range of programmes were on the cards to promote practical skills acquisition, including the integrated skills outreach programme.

“The Government of Zimbabwe, through our teachers’ colleges, is implementing several innovative programmes to enhance the quality and accessibility of education. We are promoting practical skill acquisition through the integrated skills outreach programme.

“This initiative is designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. By engaging the community, teachers and students in community-based projects, the programme trains people who might not have had a chance to go to tertiary education, but tertiary education goes out to them and gives them certificates. Since the inception of this programme, more than 5 000 people have been trained countrywide,” said Prof Murwira.

Speaking at the same occasion, Zintech Morgan College Principal, Dr Tonderai Zendah, said the Heritage Based Education programme was churning out educators who are fit for purpose.

The initiative had transformed the teacher’s education landscape to meet the expectations of the 21st century, and was made possible by the experimental approaches adopted.

“Pursuant to realising the tenets of Education 5.0, the college has adopted a teacher development programme that produces educators that are fit for purpose. The philosophy and practice of Heritage Based Education 5.0 has transformed the teacher education landscape requiring dynamic teacher development regimes,” said Dr Zendah.

Developing innovative and industrious educators through Heritage-Based Education 5.0 was not an educational imperative, but a societal necessity.