Chronicle Editor
Short courses from registered and accredited institutions are essential in empowering skills and knowledge proficiency of interested individuals. In this erratic and improved industrialisation coupled with advanced technology, the need for expertise is indispensable.
The world is progressing and not static. Thus, the demand for added skills and aptitudes in workplaces either directly or indirectly will enthuse personnel to do short courses to keep abreast with the needs and competitiveness in their occupations.
It has to be acknowledged that doing short courses may be exorbitant, although, short courses are recognised and certified. The skills and knowledge acquired cannot be evaluated by the National Qualification Framework (NQF), which is an entity used in most countries to evaluate and rank the bearer’s skills and qualification.
However, short courses do not carry credits comparable to the ones attained on full time/part time qualifications from ascribed universities and colleges.
Interestingly, institutions such as Bindura State University (BUSE) University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Lupane State University, SCHOTO, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Midlands State University (MSU) and Great Zimbabwe University for example, offer a montage of professional short courses that are well recognised and respected for their stature and credibility.
Therefore, obtaining such courses will help fill gaps in one’s professional knowledge and expertise and be elevated to greater career horizons. For those who have been out of formal education, if undertaken, short courses are an integral educational component that empowers socio-economically underprivileged men and women with little or no formal education.
Certification from short courses such as hairdressing, plumbing, beauty therapy, baking, hotel & catering, first aid, till-operator etc for example, can arm learners with an ‘I can-do it’ attitude.
In addition, short courses help to boost one’s self-esteem, builds one self-confidence as the learner appreciates himself/herself by accepting their weaknesses and strengths.
Lately, I witnessed a graduation ceremony of graduates who had completed their short courses. One could feel the vehemence, emotions, and excitement and drive in these graduands from all ages, and most of them were women.
In consequence, it will be prudent for the relevant stakeholders to give support to women and men who are eager and value the significance of learning, education and training.
Thus, learning is something that anyone interested to learn should never stop doing if given the opportunity. Arguably, in Zimbabwe, the impact of pursuing short courses may be palpable in the entrepreneurship sector, where entrepreneurs are vastly growing in the country.
They venture into various businesses, that if run in a formal set-up, they will require the owner or employees of that business to possess an educational certificate for that particular occupation. For example to run a hair salon, the hairdresser should have a certificate in
Hairdressing either acquiring it through a short course or tertiary qualification, maybe required to meet the occupational standard eligibility to operate in the business.
Hence, short courses teach individuals work related skills that can be used to advance their careers. In the aforementioned regard, as a recommendation, I would suggest that the education and training stakeholders in Zimbabwe, should promote and encourage the implementation of Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) framework, that stimulate a strong foundation on certification and competence-based learning.
The concept of RPL is designed to impart theoretical knowledge to a leaner’s existing practical knowledge in a specific occupational area, which permits him/her to obtain a recognised qualification that matches his/her abilities and skills.
As a result, this will reinforce the learner’s chances of promotion at work, self-worth, lifelong-learning and socio-educational inclusion.
Though, the framework is different from a short course knowledge and skills acquisition, it serves the same purpose of empowering those underprivileged learners who did not attend or finish school but have immense experience and skills in their workplaces.
However, short courses motivate learners to learn new concepts and help in updating their current set of skills which in turn augment their value as industry experts. Additionally, the partaking of short courses enriches one’s CV as an increased academic activity in their resume.
In a nutshell, short courses are integral for learners self-development and the economy of the country by having a skilled and qualified manpower.
Furthermore, short courses provide learners with different ideas to venture into diverse professional routes that give them the freedom to lay a resilient foundation for a new career path.
Though, some of these courses may lead to formal certification, they are not a full qualification in its own right, unlike a degree, diploma or masters.
Simbarashe Murima (PhDc) Research Fellow-Iran. He is writing in his own capacity as an Education, Tourism and Hospitality expert in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Feedback: [email protected] /+263781480742 / +264813506563 (WhatsApp)
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