Zimbabwe National Youth Service back in April

THE National Youth Service (NYS), which seeks to provide a platform to groom youths to uphold Zimbabwean values and identity, is set to resume in April this year, a Cabinet minister has said.

Addressing the National Youth Day celebrations at Mushagashe Vocational Training Centre in Masvingo province on Wednesday, Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tinomuda Machakaire said modalities are in place for the resumption of the programme.

"Your Excellency, the National Youth Service will be commencing training in April this year in its institutions," he said.

The programme is envisaged to play a crucial role in nurturing well-cultured youths, especially at a time when the country continues to face challenges like drug and alcohol abuse among young people.

"My ministry, through the National Youth Service, and vocational training and empowerment programmes, will endeavour to address youth delinquency, including drug and substance abuse, and also instil a service-oriented, patriotic and people-first mentality in the youth as they engage fellow countrymen in their communities and as workers in the public and private sectors," he said.

According to Minister Machakaire, vocational and skills training programmes countrywide are currently undergoing transformation to ensure they provide quality standards and contribute to national productivity.

In 2022, Cabinet approved the NYS policy guidelines and implementation framework, which were informed by the Zimbabwe Constitution; the Youth Council Act; the National Development Strategy 1; the National Youth Policy (2020-2025); the African Youth Charter (2006); the Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment in SADC (2015); and the National Gender Policy (2013-2017).

According to the framework, recruitment into the NYS training programme will be voluntary, with two training intakes per year, each lasting six months.

The recruitment will ensure equitable distribution of opportunities, equitable regional representation and equitable gender representation.

NYC graduates will receive first priority into institutions of higher learning, including polytechnics, teachers' colleges and nursing schools.

They will also be given preference for jobs in the civil service, among other institutions.

About 83 000 students were trained under the NYS after it was first introduced by the late national hero, Border Gezi, in 2000.

The Government plans to train more than 100 000 students at the six existing NYS training centres currently being revamped, while four new ones will be constructed to ensure availability in all the 10 provinces.