PSC revamps civil service training

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has begun integrating all Government employee training institutions into an overarching academy, as the employer seeks to equip the workforce with modern skills.

The development is in line with the Second Republic's vision of transforming the public service into a more efficient workforce.

PSC chairperson Dr Vincent Hungwe said the commission is concerned with establishing a competent workforce that will drive the country towards attaining upper middle income economy status by 2030.

Dr Hungwe was speaking in Harare last week when President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the 2019-20 Public Service Strategic Plan. "In our effort to ensure that Government has at its disposal a competent and well-motivated workforce, the commission is paying attention to how that workforce is recruited, inducted, capacitated, developed, motivated, assessed, remunerated and retained," said Dr Hungwe.

"The commission also considers the proper capacitation of civil servants for the jobs at hand. It has already commenced work towards transforming and integrating the existing public service training institutions into an overarching public service academy, which is expected to be operational by January 2020."

Dr Hungwe said the academy will equip the workforce with technological skills, in light of advances in intelligence, automation and robotics.

"Jobs in the future are expected to be more machine-powered and data-driven. They will also likely require human skills in areas such as problem-solving, communication, listening, interpretation and design," he said.

"In this regard, the academy will step up to the plate with programmes in planning the future of work and providing courses that shield personnel from obsolescence through retraining." Dr Hungwe said the bid to modernise the public service will be done in consultation with the relevant authorities.

He said the PSC is concerned over its workforce's reluctance to adopt e-solutions.

"The commission, as part of its strategic plan, will work with the Office of the President and Cabinet as well as the Ministry responsible for Information Communication Technology to handhold line ministries towards rapid modernisation," said Dr Hungwe.

"The commission's emerging strategic intent is informed by the need to transform in order to fit into the new national thrust.

"Consequently, its strategic goal is to facilitate the establishment and management of a devolved system of the public administration. This will lead and propel Zimbabwe to greater heights of sustainable and inclusive social and economic growth as well as prosperity for all its citizens."