Zim schools, Polytechnics face imminent closure: Govt

Several schools, Vocational Training Centers (VTCs), Polytechnic colleges and some universities will forcibly shut down as a result of stunted skill development, diminishing skills softwares and audits which are derived from existing monumental institutional-related infrastructure decay against current trends in technological framework.


Speaking during a stakeholders consultation engagement on the role and mandate for Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, Minister Paul Mavhima expressed his disappointment on the "mismatch between infrastructure and skills amongst institutions of higher learning, vocational training centers and other satellite schools countrywide."

"If we are to conform to world's technological trends, we realise that there is an acute shortage of required skills. There is an unimaginable skills gap existing in our country of which the little available skills produced by our institutions are going overseas," Professor Mavhima said.

"We should therefore banish schools, Polytechnical and Vocational Training Centers which do not have infrastructure that complement skills development as prescribed by the Vision 2030," Mavhima added.

"This include closure of satellite schools which are also lagging behind in terms of infrastructure that has conformity to technological framework existing. These should close because it is important for the government to invest in the best and appropriate infrastructure to produce ideal skills with technical and specialised knowledge (and skills) as prescribed by current trends," Mavhima added.

"There is a need for massive investment in skills audit and development from early childhood development, primary, secondary up until the highest level; where skills are acquired gradually thereby conforming to skills development revolution," Mavhima remarks.

Meanwhile, several stakeholders (including the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, ZCTU and ZFTU respectively) have raised concern over skills retention and remuneration by Chinese businesses operating and investing in Zimbabwe citing them as culprits for violating employment and labour laws as enshrined in the country's national constitution.

The Unions described the labour conditions existing countywide as dire and in need for both engagement and immediate attention. The Unions also cite Chinese business model for employment as both discriminatory and exclusionary to Zimbabwean nationals whilst giving preferential treatment to their foreign nationals thereby disregard priority to available technical and specialised skills or labourforce.

The Minister however promised to bring redress to the employment disequilibrium through both adoption and adapting current skills softwares and hardwares which match demanding trends through massive training and skill transfer as an investment for sustainability during skills development revolution.