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Ivan Zhakata and Mutsawashe Marandure

Funds have been set aside by Government for business start-ups by college graduates as part of the graduate employment creation and development programme.

This programme supports newly formed ventures and the funds are available for graduates and students to start their companies.

Speaking at the Msasa Industrial Training College graduation ceremony where 411 graduates, 44 females and 374 males received certificates for their new skills, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Professor Amon Murwira said graduates from industrial training colleges must have discipline through knowledge for employment creation.

The reconfigured education system now produces graduates who are ready to start their own companies.

The graduation ceremony ran under the theme, “Skills Training for Industrialisation, Modernisation and Technopreneureship”.

“We are moving forward towards the industrialisation and modernisation of our country guided by the national strategic intent as pronounced by President Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe must attain or exceed an upper-middle-income society by 2030,” Minister Murwira said.

“Under the Second Republic, we, therefore, reconfigured our education system by adding innovation and industrialisation to the traditional tripartite missions and also anchored our education system on our heritage thus Heritage Based Education 5.0. It is through skills training that our industrial training colleges shall provide the capabilities required for the industrialisation and modernisation of Zimbabwe.

“In line with the graduate employment creation and development programme, the Government of Zimbabwe is ready to support your newly formed ventures and funds are available for the graduates and students to start their consortiums. We commend Masasa Industrial Training College for responding quickly to the policy direction to assist students form companies.”

Minister Murwira said graduates must no longer celebrate having a paper qualification, but that they have been moulded in a practical way that enabled them to produce goods and services and that they are ready to create employment for themselves and others.

Principal of Masasa Industrial Training College Mrs Ringisai Muzondingi said the institution was a unique place of transformation where knowledge was constructed and reconstructed while the present was secured.

“We stay guided by the Heritage Based Education 5.0 philosophy and the National Development Strategy 1 in our quest to play an active part in the achievement of a prosperous upper-middle-income economy by 2030 as enunciated by President Mnangagwa,” she said.

“As an industrial training college, we took this challenge seriously to ensure that our education and training is anchored on the research, innovation, industrialisation and modernisation of our country. We have a robust staff development policy as we seek to build a quality human capital base.

“The college is striving to create an environment conducive for the Heritage Based Education 5.0 and this is evidenced by the number of massive projects done by our lecturers, students and apprentices to advance this institution.”

Mr Albert Ziome, who was the overall best student and graduated in diesel and plant fitting, said he was thankful and ready to hit the ground running.

“I want to thank my lecturer, who pushed me. I wish to have my own company based on Heritage Based Education 5.0,” he said.

Miss Portia Tema who received a certificate in Class 2 Carpentry said she was happy to have received the certificate and a cash prize.

“I did my one-year course and got my work-related learning here at the institution. I made chairs and now I am doing aluminium sliding doors. I wish to have my own company making aluminium chairs,” she said.

Mr Kyle Mugochi said: “We promise we will not let the nation down as we are going to modernize and revive industry through skills which we have acquired here anchored on Education 5.0, that is industrialisation, modernisation and technopreneureship. Let us not be satisfied with certificates we have acquired today but let us continue in lifelong education and training which is a must in this dynamic and ever-evolving technological world.”