TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Zimbabwe’s universities and polytechnics should make use of Education 5.0 to create business start-ups and create employment, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education has said.
Education 5.0 is a five-mission model of teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation, established to move Zimbabwe towards an innovation-led and knowledge-driven economy.
Speaking during the 3rd Bulawayo Polytechnic International Research Conference at the college campus on Thursday last week, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Norman Rudhumbu, said the ministry embarked on a graduate employment creation programme.
“It facilitates graduates and institutions to spearhead business start-ups which are aligned and anchored in their curriculum and contribute to the industrial development of our country,” Rudhumbu said.
He added: “This programme has one clear goal. At polytechnics and universities, we want business start-ups, we have the money. Let me tell you that the ministry has the money. It is entirely up to you to come up with these business start-up ideas so that we can contribute to national development.
“We will be visiting these institutions with our Minister [Amon Murwira] and Members of Parliament to see exactly what our vice-chancellors and college principals are doing at their respective universities.”
It comes at a time when university and college workers recently petitioned Parliament over poor salaries with lecturers at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) saying they will not be reporting for duty citing incapacitation following the removal of transport allowances.
In their petition, NUST Educators’ Association president Mlamuli Dlamini said all its members said they were incapacitated to report for work at a meeting held on March 9.
