leeroy mupariri
Business Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) says the number of unemployed youths enrolling for vocational training, following the revival of such centres by the Government last year, continues to grow.
Given the limited formal employment opportunities, following years of economic decline in the wake of the decades-long Western economic embargo imposed at the turn of the century, vocational training provides an ideal means to equip youth with key skills to engage productively in the mainstream economy.
In its latest labour survey for the third quarter of 2024, ZimStat said, “Youth (15-24 years) not employed or in education or training (NEET) were down from 1,4 million or 49,4 percent of total youths in the first quarter to 1,32 million or 48,1 percent of total youth in the third quarter.”
According to ZimStat, the fall in the number of youth either not employed or in education was partly attributable to the establishment of the vocational training centres.
Clapton Munongerwa, ZimStat labour statistics manager, said during the webinar to present the labour statistics that “the country has been on a drive to revitalise the vocational training centres and has helped to assimilate youth from the streets and keep them occupied”.
He said the number of youth not employed or in training was expected to fall further in the fourth quarter.
This comes after the Government committed to modernise national youth service and vocational training facilities to meet the needs of young people and the constantly shifting employment market at the beginning of 2024.
This was revealed by Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister, Tinotenda Machakaire, in February this year at a Youth Annual Awards ceremony.
“We are working tirelessly to transform vocational training centres and the national youth service to better align with the needs of our youth and the evolving job market,” he said at the time.
“By doing so, we aim to equip our young people with the skills and knowledge necessary to contribute to the growth and development of Zimbabwe.”
In his 2024 national budget statement presentation, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Prof Mthuli Ncube allocated funding for the development of the vocational centres.
“In this regard, an amount of $210 billion has been set aside for the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training to support youths’ development and empowerment programmes during 2024.
“This amount covers refurbishing and retooling of Vocational Training Centres across all provinces to enable education and skills development for the youth, as well as combating drug and substance abuse. In addition, this support also covers the national youth service programme to nurture young people into responsible citizens with values of patriotism, discipline, and Hunhu/Ubuntu,” Minister Ncube said.
Developmental economist Dr Prosper Chitambara believes that if the country is serious about economic revival and re-industrialisation, it should continue to prioritise investment in vocational and technical education.
“We need more students enrolled in vocational colleges, acquiring the practical skills that can directly contribute to rebuilding our industries. Vocational education produces the kind of workforce that can rejuvenate our agricultural sectors, refurbish ageing factories, and drive innovation in the mining and energy fields.
“Without it, we are preparing our youth for jobs that might not even exist locally, essentially training them to emigrate and boost the economies of other countries,” Dr Chitambara said.
Another economist Tinevimbo Shava believes that for Zimbabwe to thrive, it needs more artisans, engineers, technicians, and craftsmen.
“These are the people who will build infrastructure, maintain power plants, and introduce innovations in agriculture and mining.
“These are the professionals who will help Zimbabwe move beyond economic challenges and toward a sustainable, self-sufficient future,” he said.
The country has been urged to continue capacitating vocational centres in order for the economy to have a better supply of artisans for the blue-collar jobs.
