adminTawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Local industry is not happy with graduates coming out of the country’s universities, who are viewed as of poor quality, a Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) official has said. Zimdef chief executive officer Mr Fredrick Mandizvidza said the country’s universities should up their game as industry was complaining that they were producing half-backed graduates.
Addressing guests at a business luncheon in Chiredzi recently, Mr Mandizvidza described universities as “grave yards”, which had nothing new to offer students.
He said the universities should work hard and embark on activities which make them relevant in an era technological advancements were moving too fast.
“Our universities have become grave yards, they just are sticking to the same old ways of doing business despite the revolving demands of our industry,” said Mr Mandizvidza.
“We are investing in certificates which have nothing to give to industry.
“We have the highest rate of literacy, but that is not transiting to anything profitable.”
Mr Mandizvidza said President Mugabe ushered in land reform and it was now the task of universities to help farmers realise maximum returns from the land which they benefited.
He said according to the Global Innovation Index of 2017, Zimbabwe was rated number 121 out of 127 countries, and this acted as a testimony that local universities were poor in research and innovation.
“We have universities, we have polytechnics, which are parcelling out graduates to everyone,” said Mr Mandizvidza.
“You tell me we even import tooth picks and cotton threads in a country with vast tracks of land covered by trees and a country which produces cotton?
“This is unheard of, we must give these students research topics in which they try and solve problems affecting the community.
“You can’t tell me we cannot have an engineer who can design a simple toothpick-making machine.”
Mr Mandizvidza challenged Government to stop the exportation of raw materials, arguing that the country would record more revenue if there was value addition.
“Why can’t we process the chrome, the platinum which we are exporting?” he queried.
“The tobacco must have more value added on it.
“This is the only way to start driving returns from the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics teaching) programme.”
Online Reporter