‘Zimbabwe producing half baked graduates’

via ‘Zimbabwe producing half baked graduates’ – NewsDay January 30, 2015

MOST of the thousands of students churned out of the country’s tertiary institutions are half-baked and do not have the requisite industrial skills required of them, a top government official has said.

Higher and Tertiary Education deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa admitted this in Parliament on Wednesday while responding to Mberengwa East MP Makhosini Hlongwane (Zanu PF), who had asked if Zimbabwe was producing graduates who were relevant to the economy and industry.

Gandawa also told the House of Assembly that as a result of shortage of industrial skills, government would soon embark on an audit skills survey to identify the gaps in the higher education curriculum.

“It is true that the graduates that are coming from our institutions of higher learning are lacking in certain skills that are demanded by industry,” Gandawa said.

“As a ministry, we have embarked on a programme, through the Manpower Advisory Council, which is represented by members of industry so that we get to understand the gaps in our curriculum and those particular skills lacking in industry.”

Gandawa blamed universities and other institutions of higher learning for leaving out skills training while concentrating on commercial programmes.

Meanwhile, MDC-T MPs challenged Zanu PF to desist from holding its politburo meetings on Wednesdays to allow Cabinet ministers to attend Parliament and take questions from MPs.

This followed the absence of several ministers, including Leader of the House and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, from the House of Assembly for the question-and-answer sessions as they were attending a Zanu PF politburo meeting.

“Madam Chair, look at the front bench, we are unable to raise questions because there are no ministers simply because they are at a politburo meeting. It is contempt of Parliament for people not to come to Parliament,” Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya said.