Story by Tafara Chikumira
NEWLY graduated students are looking ahead with optimism to benefit from the Graduate Employment Creation and Development Programme, a government initiative that supports alumnae with startup capital for entrepreneurship.
The government’s education 5.0 is proving to be a game changer for graduates of higher learning institutions with graduates from Gweru Polytechnic ready to provide solutions to the industry’s needs.
The graduands who graduated this Friday say they are ready to form startup companies that can provide solutions to the demands of the industry.
“I was studying accounting at this college. I have learnt that I can provide solutions to the industry by developing applications that can be used to balance business transactions. I am ready to form my own auditing firm which will help in bringing accountability to various business platforms,” said a graduate.
“I was studying human resources at this institution. I have learnt that it is easy to establish an HR firm that can provide consultancy to the industry. I am geared to start my own firm that can be a solution to the industry,” said another graduate.
Another added saying, “I have already started a small company while still studying. Now that I am done, I hope to grow this to greater heights. It’s a matter of time before everything is put in place.”
The government says it is ready to chip in and assist graduates with startup capital for the benefit of the country.
“We would like to see all the graduates of Gweru Polytechnic being helped to form startup companies. Let us get rid of the colonial mentality where we were designed to work for someone. The government has presented you graduates with an opportunity to start new industries and companies through the Graduate Employment Creation and Development Programme. Gone are the days of job seeking once you finish college,” said Permanent Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Fanuel Tagwira.
Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Owen Ncube said, “We understand our mandate as the Midlands Province in line with the National Development Strategy 1 to ensure that we establish systems to promote new enterprise development, employment and job creation among the youth in the province through women capital development. I am therefore pleased to learn that the institution has trained people with disabilities and equipped them with various skills thus empowering them. No place and people should be left behind.”
The Second Republic has made deliberate efforts to empower students from higher learning institutions through Education 5.0 which has since been extended to the Integrated Skills Expansion Outreach Programme where students engage communities and impart practical skills leading to the production of quality goods and services in fulfilment of the inclusive development agenda.
