Story By Justin Mahlahla
Vice President General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga says a skills revolution is necessary to take Africa into the desired future, as the continent seeks to empower the youth with the knowledge, capabilities and entrepreneurial mindset required to drive industrialisation, foster innovation and build thriving regional value chains.
He said this in a speech read on his behalf at the Southern Africa Youth Development Council Future Skills Summit, running from 23 to 24 May 2024 in Harare. The Summit is being held under the theme, “Promoting Future Skills Development for Industrialization, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Through Regional Value Chains for Cultural Inclusivity and Sustainable Economic Growth.”
“African entrepreneurs, artists, activists, and leaders are driving positive change and showing the world the immense potential of this diverse and dynamic region. Today as we deliberate on pertinent issues for the development of desired and requisite future skills towards a better Africa. It is imperative for us to realise that contemporary skills development cannot be possible, without technology. We therefore need to promulgate policies and programmes that spur the development of robust Information Communication Technology infrastructure and promote investment in this sector.
“As a Region we need to embrace innovation, empower our people and invest in the development of future skills for our youth in order for us to unlock the immense potential of our region. As we look ahead to the future, it is imperative that we empower the youth with the knowledge, capabilities and entrepreneurial mindset required to drive industrialization, foster innovation and build thriving regional value chains. This will allow our economies to fully exploit the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where boundaries between physical, digital and biological worlds are increasingly becoming blurred,” said the Vice President.
He said youths should be equipped with the necessary skills to fully appreciate emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, the Internet of Things, Clouding Computing, Big Data and Data Analytics for African economies to remain competitive.
“In order to empower her people, Zimbabwe redistributed land to the once marginalised black majority through the Land Reform Program that was introduced by the Government at the turn of the millennium. This has resulted in over Eighty percent of the total population including women and the youth being land owners at both communal and commercial levels. This milestone achievement makes our Great nation to stand tall as we have achieved emancipation of our citizens by making them true owners of their means of production and natural resources. We continue to empower our people through various initiatives being implemented by Government,” he added.
Dr Chiwenga said Zimbabwe is committed to working together with all African countries to achieve the dreams of the founding fathers of the Africa Union, adding, “We have learnt that for Zimbabwe to realize its aspirations of an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030 as enunciated in our Vision, a skills revolution is needed. For Africa to succeed, we need to develop skills such as entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, sustainable agriculture and leadership, among others. Zimbabwe through the able leadership of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has made great strides in this regard. We have overhauled our education system through introducing the Heritage Based Education 5.0 policy which places greater emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects, digital literacy, practical and on the job learning. Through our technical and vocational skills training programmes and establishment of Innovation Hubs at all State Universities, we are producing the next generation of skilled workers, engineers, artisans and entrepreneurs who are poised to lead our industries into the future. We firmly believe that, skills development is crucial for Africa to achieve sustainable economic growth, youth empowerment, poverty reduction, industrialisation and global competitiveness.”
Vice President Chiwenga urged delegates to continue promoting peaceful co-existence among African nations.
“Therefore, as we prepare to commemorate Africa Day, let us recommit ourselves to supporting the people of Africa in realizing their aspirations for a more just, prosperous, and peaceful continent. This will require sustained regional cooperation and investment, as well as, a spirit of solidarity and mutual understanding. Let us honour the legacy of the founding fathers of the then Organization of African Unity, now African Union by working tirelessly to fulfil the promise of a united, resilient, and thriving Africa. Our continent can only thrive if our youth acquire knowledge and use it to develop our economies. In this vein as the youth, you must desist from criminal activities and drugs and substance abuse which negatively affect your health and intellect. Failure to heed this warning, you become a menace and threat to the ideals of Africa’s founding fathers. We yearn for a sober and innovative youth generation to whom we can bequeath the future of Africa. To the young people gathered here today, I say to you, the future is yours to shape. The skills and ideas you acquire here will be the foundation upon which the prosperity of our region is built.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Skills Audit and Development, Professor Paul Mavima urged the region and continent at large to invest in skills development in order to foster economic growth and competitiveness.
“The world is becoming more complex than what was anticipated in the recent past. SADC countries should remain competitive in today’s global economy in its complexities. Apart from advanced technical and vocational skills, countries also need a flexible workforce that can adjust to rapid shifts as demanded by the changing world. Investing in skills development is crucial for our countries’ economic growth and competitiveness. Our education systems should be re-engineered so that we divert from colonial systems. Africa needs education systems that are oriented towards producing youths who have both strong foundational skills as well as specific skills for entrepreneurship and industry. As you may be aware, the demand for job-specific skills has been on the rise around the world due to advancements in technology. Globally, a call to ensure the alignment of education qualifications to the quality and skills output is a major concern,” he said.
Minister Mavima noted that skills development must be a deliberate undertaking of African countries as they pursue socio-economic development.
“We all need to stand our ground as one Africa and address skills gaps and shortages that have resulted from the ever-changing labour market conditions. Developing job relevant skills is a pivotal step towards bridging the skills gap and building more competitive and sustainable economies on our continent. There is need for reskilling and upskilling so that we leverage on the changing labour market and technological advancements and diversify to higher-value-added industrial and service sectors apart from relying on agriculture and extractive industries alone. More education and training is needed for our people to be employable in these high-end sectors. Machine operators, craftspeople, technicians, managers and professionals that have knowledge of Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence are now needed more than ever as Africa is promoting technological and skills transfer.”
He added, “Skills development is important for us as skills improve our well-being and reduce poverty; workers become more agile hence they can adjust not only to domestic shifts in demand but also to what is happening in the global economy and labour market; with workforce with the right skills, firms can be more productive thereby growing the economy and creating more and decent jobs. For us to benefit together, this is the time to reflect on a skills development system that embraces the entire spectrum of education and training; a system that provides opportunities for lifelong learning. Early childhood interventions are key. We should be able to identify talent and passion of our people at childhood levels so that we can expose them to education systems that develop their skills for the better of our countries.”
Zimbabwe, alive to the contribution of human capital development to socio-economic transformation, has dedicated a thematic pillar on Human Capital Development in its National Development Plan (NDS 1) and is also implementing Education 5.0 that emphasises the production of goods and services.
In addition, the recently-adopted Heritage Based Education system for primary and secondary schools promotes development of entrepreneurial and industry ready technical and soft skills from early childhood.
The summit was organized by the International Youth Connect in conjunction with Vision 2030 Movement, and will present its deliberations to the 44th SADC Summit of Heads of State in August.
