Govt set aside $460 000 for Graduate Entrepreneur and Employment Promotion Program

Harare - Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Permanent Secretary, Dr Washington Mbizo says government has set aside $US 460 000 for the Graduate Entrepreneur and Employment Promotion Program (GEEP) in a bid to help collage and university graduates who studied technical courses to form companies and create employment.

GEEPP was launched by the government of Zimbabwe in May 2013 in an effort to take advantage of government policies such as land reform and indigenization and economic empowerment by promoting entrepreneurship among university and college graduates.

Addressing journalists in Harare, Dr. Mbizvo, said with unemployment statistics escalating every year government came up with GEEPP initiative meant to bring together graduates from areas like engineering, hotel and catering and start company projects.

"We realised that most of our graduates are roaming around the streets after graduation especially those in technical areas because in this area employment opportunities are rare to come by so we formed this youth initiative and it's open for all."

"GEEP is meant to complement other youth initiatives which already exist and we set aside $US 460 000 for this year," said Dr Mbizvo.

Dr Mbizvo said there have partnered with local companies in order to carry out a mentorship programs for the graduates towards self empowerment.

"There is a mentality that most graduate have that they do not want to start their own projects but look for employment and that is what we want to change and encourage them to empower themselves," he said.
He said GEEPP has a task force both at national and provincial level.

"Our task force at national level consists of scientists, engineers, a representative of universities, and a representative of Polly technical colleges, assistant Director, Business Development Manager and executive director."

"At provincial level we appoint 10 members from each province who will go and promote empowerment awareness to the youth," he added.

Already, a number of universities such as Harare Institute of Technology and Chinhoyi University of Technology are offering entrepreneurship training and education as part of their curriculum.