Skills-based education a priority says Jonathan Moyo

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo has re-emphasized the new national thrust to have a skills-based education that is linked to production in order to make it relevant to the quest for industrialisation and modernisation.

This came out during the Mupfure Self Help College's 27th graduation ceremony in Chegutu.

Addressing graduands and stakeholders , Professor Moyo noted that education must be able to provide solutions to societal and national problems.

He hailed Masasa Industrial, Trades and Testing Centre in Harare and West Gate Industrial Centre in Bulawayo for developing some of the world's most sought after artisans.

Three colleges, namely Mupfure, St Peters Kubatana and Danhiko are being considered for transformation into industrial training centers.

According to Professor Moyo, 70 percent of over 300 000 ordinary level leavers fail to make it to tertiary and higher education, and it is this mass of people that should be skilled for production through a number of colleges.

The Mupfure Self Help College 27th graduation ceremony saw some 186 graduands receive national foundation certificates and national certificates which include agriculture, clothing and textile design among other disciplines.

The college's principal, Mr Claytos Ncube and chairman of the Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with Production, Mr Stephen Nyengera said the graduands went through a competence based training programme of skills that speak to the new thrust of education focusing on stem.