MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-Government has targeted to absorb the youth that are grappling with drug and substance abuse into Vocational Training Centres in a deliberate move to fight the scourge that has destroyed many young people in the country.
The Vocational Training Centres have a mandate to train youths to be entrepreneurs and self-reliant.
According to the report presented to the Cabinet by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Prof Amon Murwira, the training centres will become a tool to effectively fight the drug abuse scourge.
“Cabinet considered the Status of the Vocational Training System as presented by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development as Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Human Capital Development, Skills Audit and Employment Creation.
“The target youth niche for Vocational Training Centres constitutes a population currently grappling with rampant drug and substance abuse. This will make vocational training and skills development a major tool to effectively fight the scourge. The skills development will enhance self-Empowerment, community development and foster employment creation,” reads the cabinet briefing report.
Murwira’s report added that the sub-sector is important in the development of the economy by providing an alternative pathway for non-academic, skilled citizens.
He said the government is committed on strengthening and promoting an inclusive implementation of vocational skills to benefit the young.
Adding that the move was intended to enhance skills development.
“The deliberate drive is intended at ensuring that an adequate labour force with appropriate skills is produced to support national economic development,” he said.
The approved programme will see 45 fully-fledged Vocational Training Centres, 25 satelite centres being revamped and establishment of one centre in each district.
The cabinet report also revealed that the Government will continue to promote the improvement and expansion of infrastructure to match modern industrial trends and enrolment demands.
Highlighting that “the transformation process includes the development and implementation of training packages based on the concepts and principles of the competence-based Zimbabwe National Qualification Framework (ZNQF), greening of Vocational Training Centres and training programmes, and the mainstreaming of entrepreneurship as well as gender and inclusivity in all training programmes”.
Recently, government enacted Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policy which sets the platform for the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation to play its part in enhancing the youth demographic dividend.
It also seeks to stimulate development support, modernization and expansion of the Vocational Training System as well as intensify the drive at national level.
