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Leroy Dzenga  Correspondent
Zimbabwe produces more than 10 000 university graduates a year, a number which exceeds the available jobs on the market. This is a reality, which has been prioritised by the new administration who are setting their sights on alleviating unemployment in the country.

Among the thousands of students who graduate per annum, few of the graduates hold their hopes for entry into being civil servants or working for the Government.

Some even consider it to be a last option or a lowly placed possibility. It could be a sign of the change of times as those who lived in the 1980s say it was lucrative to be a government employee. They say the progression from the classroom to the civil service was a natural order of things.

Through that line of thinking, the Government got some of the best brains, which were available during the time. Maybe, the status of Government employment held at the time explains some of the brilliant senior staffers within ministries today, who joined before the turn of the millennium, which brought with it economic challenges in the country.

Currently, countable college students and graduates explicitly state intention to join Government institutions straight after they wrap up their studies. Among the reasons young people are attempting to chart their careers away from the civil service is the remuneration, which is below sector rates by a margin.

It is understood that the wage bill needs to be kept at manageable level in Government, but it may also be time for Government to evaluate the rewards in relation to the cost of living that their employees fight to contain monthly.

When a person goes through tertiary education, it is an investment and there is need to recoup those funds injected into gaining a specific skill. This is why most people who weigh job offers go to where the salaries and allowances are most attractive.

In this case, Government will fail to meet the criteria for being the most attractive on the financial front for fresh graduates. Besides the amounts being paid, the inconsistent salary dates, which have characterised the civil service also act as a deterrent.

For people within a respectable system like a government, should not be seen negotiating deferred payments because their dues will be delayed. Deferred payment creates a long chain of inconveniences and sometimes leads to unintended debts. It has always been curious why a number of micro-finance entities create adverts specifically inviting civil servants to borrow.

Is it because they acknowledge that the civil service is the largest employer in the country, or they understand that those who work in Government, especially at junior levels may have a higher propensity to borrow due to delayed salaries?

Besides financial gains, the bureaucratic way of operation, which characterises most Government institutions is not too attractive to a young person who will be bubbling with assumed post college creativity.

When a student finally finishes the incubation process they carry with them ambitious naivety that they can change the world with the accrued knowledge. Some of those audacious ideas may bring forth positive results.

Unfortunately, from outside Government institutions, especially ministries do not give an impression that it will be possible to effect changes. A lot of young Zimbabweans who are lending their labour across sectors on a freelance basis could be a good addition to the civil service, as long as there is a balance between their adventurous exploits and the formality required within the civil service.

With some departments still using Pentium Two computers, which were prominent in the 2006 era. It does not inspire confidence at a time where the digital tools employed reflect on the quality of work.

Even Members of Parliament have been advocating the prioritisation of modern systems into Government operations. Chegutu West legislator, Dexter Nduna was quoted in the Chronicle of January 19, 2017 saying that the manual approach to service delivery was slowing down efficiency within departments.

Tech savvy minds would feel like they will be underutilised if they are to operate within an environment where their tools of trade are antiquated. Introducing new ideas into systems needs new implementers who may not necessarily be the existing “experienced” ministry employees who are used to age old methods.

There is optimism that the announced civil service rectification, which will see employees over the stipulated retirement age resting may open up doors for fresh minds to enter the civil service.

If those who get the initial opportunities show signs of comfort, then maybe others will be motivated to give the civil service a chance. Services like the police force and the army for example, should not be a haven for young people who cannot afford to go to university.

Instead, these institutions should retain their aspirational value where young people used to hold legitimate desires to join their ranks out of passion. This is not to say the Government should bend itself backwards trying to entice young employees. But it should stand as a viable option whenever a skilled young person is assessing paths to follow during and after studying.

Civil service should be a choice worth considering because of the good rewards, which come from serving one’s country not to be turned into a last ditch solution for desperate job seekers. A motivated and enthusiastic workforce is critical, especially in the resurgence phase that Zimbabwe finds itself in. Maybe the young will give our public system the rejuvenation it yearns for.

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