The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube : Post Correspondent
THE Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development is proposing to undertake a comprehensive national manpower survey or a national skills audit that will provide a true national outlook in terms of availability or shortage of skills for the period 2016 to 2026.
This was revealed by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Jonathan Moyo at Mutare Poly graduation ceremony held at the college last Friday.
He said the survey would provide Government, employers, investors, individuals as well as educators and trainers with the current state of Zimbabwe’s strategic skills and what is required going forward given the country’s quest for industrialisation.
The survey and audit of Zimbabwe’s skills was last done between 1981 and 1982.
“The findings of the survey should enable Government, employers, investors, individuals and education (colleges and universities) and trainers to decide on which areas to focus on for economic growth. The survey will provide these stakeholders with information on areas of potential skills shortage now and in the future.
Prof Moyo said there was room for improvement in the enrolment of engineering technologists in line with the new STEM expectations.
Since the re-introduction of B-Tech Degree programme in 2005, the college, which is the fourth largest polytechnic in the country, has produced only 10 engineering technologists.
“The objective of STEM is to develop and train engineering technologists who in turn will produce technological and engineering solutions to community and societal challenges. The Ministry will work with Mutare Polytech to plan, train and develop STEM-based human capital for the industrialisation and modernisation of the country. To achieve this, we would need more efforts to be directed towards infrastructural development, enhancing staff capacity and state-of-art equipment including internet activity among other priorities,” he added.
The 27th graduation ceremony saw a total of 999 students — among them 375 females — graduating.
Mutare Poly principal, Mrs Poniso Watema, said the college had taken heed to the Ministry’s call to embrace the STEM initiative which seeks to transform the country from a resource based economy to a high technology knowledge driven economy.
“Plans are at an advanced stage to start the Biogas and the Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collectors projects. These are clean sources of energy that the institution will be using and also selling the bottled gas to the community around us.
In terms of our resource mobilisation strategies, the institution embarked on activities such as tracksuit production in the production unit of the college, production of school uniforms, sportswear and safety clothing for Tongaat Sugar Producing Company, motor vehicle servicing for local schools, construction of houses at Bonda and Chemhanza, furniture manufacturing of ministries among other things,” she said.
She added that through the college’s new strategic plan, Mutare Polytechnic rededicates itself to service delivery, good stewardship, research that contributes to the economy and living its vision of fulfilment of STEM for industrialisation.
