WGEMPS participates at a Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development meeting
There is need to revise government policy and legislation to ensure that all out-of-school youths acquire some requisite skills, and certification in recognition of the skills acquired in the informal sector.
Participants made the above recommendation at a “Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development” meeting held in Harare from 4th to 5th August 2010, and in which WGEMPS staff attended.
Other key recommendations made included:
- The developed draft list of potential districts that should participate to be finalized and circulated to stakeholders.
- Review curricula to ensure that they are reflective of the current Zimbabwean environment by encouraging small business startups and producing graduates which are more IT literate.
- Disburse funds to ventures which pass a strict viability test and which have the potential to pay back the funds.
- Microfinance houses, government, private sector and civil society should provide finance for startup. The concept of collateral has to be re-thought so as to afford small businesses loans.
- The model for employment should be a balance between small business startup and the recapitalization of big business through the attraction of foreign direct investments.
Over 60 delegates, including Technical Colleges’ Principals, training providers, government officials, small business owners, and local and international NGO’s deliberated on:
- how best to implement the “Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development” programme targeting out-of-school youths in Zimbabwe;
- strateies for capturing the voices at the grassroots level, and ensuring the involvement of all stakeholders in (a) Improving the quality of traditional apprenticeships in the informal economy and (b) Community – based technical and vocational skills development programmes in rural areas for theout-of-school youths in Zimbabwe;
- the identification of 30 districts that will benefit from the intervention.
The stakeholders meeting follow the successful piloting of a YES Jump initiative which the International Labour Organisation, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development Indigenisation and Empowerment (MoYDIE), introduced in 2009 to nurture out-of-school youths and assist them in entrepreneurial ventures in order to lower unemployment and improve livelihoods. A key challenge of the YES Jump initiative was the overwhelming level of demand for business skills and start-up capital.
ILO Regional Chief Technical Advisor, Mr. Tapera Muzira, presented the "Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development in West and Southern Africa" programme, highlighting its objectives, strategy, target countries, and the fators considered in selecting the target areas. Dr Michael Mambo also presented some trends in Education and Training, noting that a lot of youth are uncatered for and lack any skills that make them employable. Participants also acknowledged the issue of glaring data blanks for vocational training centers.
The following major points emerged from the group discussions:
- It is essential to understand the concept of unemployment and skills development in the social context that the youth live in.
- There is a mismatch between the training offered and the skills needed by the economy.
- The curricula in the country are too theoretic and do not provide technical skills nor does it instill entrepreneurial skills and innovation.
- Graduates from the education system enter the job market without an appreciation of technology.
- Youth with good business ideas have no access to startup capital and fail to get any advisory services.
- Informal sector is the biggest employer and also offers are number of informal apprenticeships these should be assisted to become formal, more efficient and to grow.
- A lot of initiatives to train youth are in place with NGOs and the Government playing their part. However, huge numbers still do not have access to skills development.
The Permanent Secretary in MoYDIE, and also the Chair of the YES Jump initiative, opened the meeting, with the ILO Officer in Charge, Mr. Mandoro, giving the closing remarks.
For more information, contact
Simbarashe Sibanda of ADEA WGEMPS.
Created on 08/12/2010 03:51 PM
Updated on 08/12/2010 04:09 PM
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