Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau
GWERU Polytechnic College, on Friday, unveiled a new state-of-the-art clinic which is designed to provide comprehensive health services to students and lecturers.
This comes as the college also unveiled four new top-of-the-range vehicles, which are aimed at enhancing the institution’s operational efficiency.
The clinic and the vehicles were unveiled during the college’s 34th graduation ceremony. The value of the vehicles and the new clinic could not be ascertained; however, the development underscores the institution’s commitment to creating a conducive learning environment and promoting a healthy and productive academic community.
The commissioning of the vehicles and the new clinic was done by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Professor Fanuel Tagwira, who was representing the Minister, Dr Frederick Shava.
College Principal Engineer Washington Chandiwana said the commissioning of the new vehicles and clinic is a testament to the college’s dedication to improving its infrastructure and services.
He said the developments are expected to have a positive impact on the students and staff, enabling them to achieve their academic and professional goals.
“As a college, we managed to procure these four vehicles (three Isuzu twin cab vehicles and one Toyota twin cab vehicle), which are going to play important roles in terms of mobility. We also managed to construct this new clinic, which is going to go a long way in providing first-line health services to our students and lecturers.
“We want to thank our colleagues from industry and trade for assisting us in realising our vision. It is teamwork between our parent ministry and other Mministries that has resulted in the commissioning of the vehicles and the clinic,” said Eng Chandiwana.
Meanwhile, the college revealed that during the period under review (2024-25), there were 955 students in STEM-related courses compared to 941 in the 2023/24 period.
“The percentage increase in the uptake of STEM courses was 1,5 percent,” said Eng Chandiwana.
He said the college realises that developing a skilled human resource base requires deliberate effort by all stakeholders to embrace technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
“Cognisant of the fact that TVET is the master key to national development, Gweru Polytechnic has made inroads in championing the uptake of TVET in secondary schools. The theme was inspired by the Polytechnic’s desire to impart technical and vocational skills to those in and out of school, the young and the elderly in rural and urban areas,” said Eng Chandiwana.
Acquisition of skills, he added, will, among others, enhance the shunning of drug and substance abuse among the school-going children and the youths in society.
Eng Chandiwana said Gweru Polytechnic undertakes to ensure that inclusive and equitable quality education is provided to guarantee life-long learning opportunities for all, especially for people with disabilities.
“This is in line with SDG 4 and the national mantra, ‘Leaving no place and no one behind.”
“Two schools, Anderson Adventist High School and Joybells Adventist High School, are participating in the skills development programme. A total of 418 learners at the two schools are participating. Anderson has 361 while Joybells has 57 learners undergoing the skills training,” he said.
