Story by Tamuka Charakupa
Skills development have been identified as key in empowering vulnerable members of the society.
This follows the inaugural graduation ceremony at the Vheneko Vocational Training Centre in Chipinge which saw 65 young people being conferred with national certificates in various disciplines.
The realisation of national development goals requires a multi-sectoral approach with young people at the centre of these targets.
Efforts to ensure the inclusion of rural based youths in national development has seen government establishing vocational training centres in formally marginalised communities.
This Thursday, at least sixty-five vulnerable youths drawn from across the country were conferred with national certificates at the inaugural graduation ceremony of Vheneko Vocational Training Centre in Chipinge with skills development identified as critical in promoting rural empowerment.
A student, Winmore Mlambo told the ZBC News, ” have been doing cosmetology and hairdressing and from there I managed to do my attachment and after this period, I managed to grow my client base on my own, earned revenue to fund and further my studies and today I am a proud girl, a proud entrepreneur.”
Muhle Ndlovualso said, “I came all the way from Gwanda under the CeSHAAR programme. I really appreciate this opportunity because I can now work for myself and in a way this has helped me to escape pressure to be involved in social ills such as drugs and prostitution.”
“I trained in motor mechanics. This is a trade which was mainly identified with the male gender, but I decided to challenge myself and that perspective. I know now how to fit an engine or a gear box and I know that with this skill I am now employable,” another student, Kelly Chabata said.
Vheneko Vocational Training College founder Mrs Maria Mathabuka Chitemere revealed that the project is a joint effort of government and the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research Zimbabwe (CeSHHAR).
“This is a fruitful partnership of government together with CeSHHAR and Vheneko VCT. We realised that the majority of the youths were are idle so we established this facility to drive the youths away from socials ills such as prostitution drug and substance abuse. We have realised that skills development are critical in rural empowerment and ultimately national development,” she said.
Government through the ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training is currently implementing the Strategic Framework for the Transformation of the Vocational Training System (2023 to 2027) which seeks to impact the youths with relevant life skills for self-sustainability.
The country currently has 68 vocational training centres including 15 satellite ones, with plans afoot to establish a centre in each district countrywide