Story by Panashe Nagoli
GOVERNMENT says it has transformed the tertiary education sector to focus on science, technology and innovation development to propel the country’s industrialisation aspirations.
The Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Ambassador Frederick Shava, says the government is committed to the transformation of the tertiary education framework to ensure it produces graduates who are not only qualified but rather skilled and relevant to respond to the needs of industry.
Ambassador Shava was on a familiarisation tour of the Tertiary Education Service Council and the ZIMCHE offices in Harare this Monday.
“We are aiming to produce graduates who are not only qualified but also skilled and relevant to the needs of the industry. We are on a drive to industrialise, and this is the only way we can achieve that, and these institutions are necessary and critical if we are to achieve that,” he said.
Ambassador Shava also challenged the Tertiary Education Service Council and ZIMCHE to accelerate the digitisation of their operations in line with international standards and emerging technological trends.
Officials from the two institutions reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the government’s Education 5.0 agenda, which places innovation, industrialisation and modernisation at the centre of tertiary education.
“This government is committed to ensuring that the goals of Education 5.0 are achieved, and we are now working towards ensuring that our tertiary institutions produce graduates that are relevant to the industry,” Secretary of the Tertiary Education Service Council, Dr Tafadzwa Mudondo, said.
Chief Executive Officer of ZIMCHE, Mr Kuzvinetsa Peter Dzvimbo, highlighted the importance of modernising institutional systems to improve efficiency and align services with global best practice.
“We were able to air everything and have our Minister listen to us, but what was crucial was the need to digitise the services of ZIMCHE to match international standards,” he said.
Ambassador Shava further underscored the importance of science, technology, innovation and human capital development under Pillar Five of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), describing them as key drivers of Zimbabwe’s transformation into an upper-middle-income economy.
The government’s continued investment in higher and tertiary education reforms is expected to strengthen the link between academia and industry, ensuring graduates are better positioned to contribute to national development and economic competitiveness.
