The ManicaPost
Wimbainashe Zhakata Post Correspondent
An unemployed graduates entrepreneurial skills development programme has been launched in Mutare in a bid to encourage graduates to develop and create their own jobs.
The brainchild of Zanu-PF, the initiative will be cascaded to other polytechnics, colleges and universities around the country.
In an interview after meeting with unemployed graduates, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Cde Lovemore Matuke said Government would assist unemployed graduates with loans to develop their skills.
“The programme that we are launching today is out of the realisation that our universities are churning up to almost 20 000 graduates every year and if we go back to the last 10 years, we must be having about 500 000 who are not employed. The number is going to increase going forward.
“So Government has come up with an initiative to try and create a fund to cater for the graduates. We are going to provide loans to the graduates and I think this coming year Government is going to make a provision in the Budget to make sure a special fund is created to look after the graduates,” said Cde Matuke.
He added that Government was keen to create opportunities for every graduate in every sector of the economy.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Finance Cde Patrick Chinamasa urged graduates to be innovative and create their own employment.
“Everyone has their own talent and entrepreneurial skills. For a country to be stable no one should be complaining. There are many graduates we want to create a solution,” he said.
Graduates who attended the meeting said searching for employment in Zimbabwe was difficult due to rampant nepotism, sexual harassment and segregation, among other reasons.
The graduates said Government’s idea to cushion them with loans to develop their skills was an important aspect towars the country’s economic revival.
