Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
The Minister of Skills Audit and Development, Professor Paul Mavima, has today launched the retired and diaspora databases to tap into the skills and expertise of professionals who have retired and those living abroad.
Prof Mavima stated that the launch of the two databases is an acknowledgement of the important role these groups can play in the development of the country, as envisaged in NDS1 and NDS2.
He said that the initiative to leverage the knowledge of retirees is a way of preserving institutional memory, while the diaspora database is intended to ensure that the country benefits from the skills they have acquired over the years in their countries of residence.
The Minister said that those interested in being included in the databases can register online and assured them that the information they supply would be held in the strictest confidence, as required by the country’s laws.
This was long overdue. There are so many retirees who wake up every morning and sit outside their houses waiting for the sun to set so that it rises again the next morning. Professionals from as far back as the late 70s are sitting at home doing absolutely nothing yet they can be incorporated into the skills matrix and assist in the development of the young minds. I know of someone who has a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and spends his day heading his cattle. What a waste of knowledge!