adminJoseph Madzimure
Senior Reporter
CONCORD Young Women in Business Global ICT will be rolling-out Phase two of the ICT and goat rearing training programmes targeting at least 20 000 young women across the country.
Government has intensified the drive to create a digital economy through improved access to ICTs in the quest to engender socio-economic transformation.
Improving access to ICTs is one of the key pillars of the National Development Strategy (NDS1), and a step towards attainment of an upper-middle-income by 2030.
The organisation is currently hosting a training retreat for CONCORD Young Women in Business Global provincial co-ordinators at Bushman Rock Safaris in Goromonzi to equip them with prerequisite skills.
The provincial co-ordinators will help in mobilising the targeted women in their respective provinces.
At least 7 840 women drawn from the country’s 10 provinces were capped and awarded certificates of competence by President Mnangagwa after completing an ICT course Phase One in Bulawayo at the beginning of this month. Speaking at a training of provincial co-ordinators in Goromonzi yesterday, CONCORD Young Women in Business Global president, Ms Aphia Nyasha Musavengana, said they are now rolling out Phase Two of the ICT training which will commence next week.
“We are targeting 20 000 young women to benefit from this programme as part of empowering the girl child.
“We have completed phase one of our ICT training earmarked for young women between the ages of 15-45. We want to thank President Mnangagwa who opened the opportunity and welcomed us into the economic development World under vision 2030,” said Ms Musavengana.
The President, she said, encouraged them to implement phase two of ICT training with the support of the Ministry of ICT.
“We are starting the phase two of ICT programme in Zvishavane district next week.
“The ICT training is going to run for the next eight weeks.
“We are going to spend a week in every province. Mobilisation for each province is already underway. Besides the ICT training programme, we are also going to embark on a goat rearing programme for women with the assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture,” Ms Musavengana said.
Additionally, she said, after the eight weeks of intensive training, the dates for graduation will be announced to ensure no one is left behind.
“We will get a number of goats which will be distributed to young women as part of the empowerment drive”.
All the best students will get free goats as start-up projects in different areas.
President Mnangagwa has implored women to fully take advantage of the information technology value chain, saying Government is committed to eliminating inequalities in labour force participation and providing economic opportunities, as well as enhancing ICT access for young women.
According to the International Data Corporation, global investment in digital transformation will reach US$2,8 trillion in 2025, which is more than half of all the spending on information and communication technology.
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