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Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development (MoHTESTD) Permanent Secretary Dr. Desire Sibanda said the intention of his government is to grow the economy and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is critical to achieve this. He was speaking at the workshop to validate Zimbabwe’s policy review report on 20th March 2018 in Harare.

UNESCO in partnership with MoHTESTD hosted a one-day workshop to validate the report that took nine months to produce from June 2017. The workshop was held at the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in Harare. Thirty-five participants drawn from key government ministries, training institutions, some representatives of the private sector and NGOs in TVET training took part in the validation workshop.

Dr. Sibanda commended UNESCO experts for producing the draft report, making some bold recommendations including developing a TVET policy to ensure coordination of the provision of TVET.

Speaking at the same occasion, UNESCO Regional Director for southern Africa, Prof. Hubert Gijzen, stressed the importance of investing in TVET. He said skills are vital for poverty reduction, job creation, self-employment and supporting livelihoods of individuals, families and communities.

Prof Gijzen noted that the draft report on the TVET policy and practice in the country unraveled some structural weaknesses of the current system that need to be addressed. He called for the development of strong partnerships amongst all stakeholders for the success of TVET in the country and transforming the lives of citizens. UNESCO and other UN agencies in Zimbabwe have collaborated with the government to work on the TVET policy review.

Workshop delegates received findings as regards five strategic areas of policy and institutional structure of TVET; engagement of employers and industries; qualification systems and the regulatory frameworks; equity and quality of TVET; and financing and resources allocation for TVET.

In broad terms, participants welcomed the main findings in the report. They called for the current initiatives such a national skills audit and revival of the development of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to be included in the final report. In groups, participants identified action points to take forward the recommendations towards developing a TVET policy and coordinate TVET provision in Zimbabwe. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development is working on reviving an inter-ministerial committee with technical people to produce a concept note on TVET national policy development. The Ministry looks forward to further collaboration with UNESCO and the UNCT as they develop a TVET policy.

For more information contact mt.mukabeta@unesco.org. 

URL:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/harare/about-this-office/single-view/news/tvet_is_critical_to_grow_the_economy