THE Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development is a result of a merger between the former Ministries of Science and Technology Development and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education respectively.
This merger created both opportunities and challenges in the structural, operational and policy incompatibilities that need both policy and legislative redress.
The challenge of the new Ministry is to research, plan, develop and train human capital to drive Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and modernisation for the 21st Century.
The past three and half decades after independence, Zimbabwe’s vibrant tertiary and higher education has produced a huge number of exceptionally gifted individuals who have made immense contribution locally, regionally and internationally.
Cognisant of the significance of skills in national development, the Government of Zimbabwe has, since 1980, focused on quality skills development so as to develop a sustainable local workforce, facilitate rewarding careers for young people and boosting the country’s competitiveness regionally and internationally.
Initially, the thrust was on expanding the human capital base of artisans and technicians.
Furthermore, science and technology-based universities such as National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) were established.
The Government of Zimbabwe also up-scaled science and technology in the country’s other universities, polytechnics and colleges.
Also, strategic research institutions such as Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC), the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) and the National Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe (NBAZ) were created with a view to industrialise and modernise the country.
The skills development thrust also recognised the need to embrace and respond proactively to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution and computerisation.
ICTs and computerisation was expanded in primary, secondary and tertiary education sub-sectors.
The focused expansion of the education sector produced specialist doctors, engineers, pharmacists, biochemists, ICT experts and numerous other specialists who have assumed influential positions locally, regionally and internationally.
However, the business world is fast evolving and skills functions that do not change are economically counterproductive. Crucially, skill sets have ‘shelf lives’ just like consumer goods.
Therefore, it is important to review the status of skills in the country so as to be able to catch up with the knowledge economy.
The supply side of skills needs to be constantly cognisant of the current skills needs of the demand side; as skills are the bedrock of economic growth, industrialisation and modernisation.
The education sector is pivotal, for national development can only come to fruition if it is ably supported by available skills.
For example, it is critical to ask this fundamental question: Does the country have adequate and competent investment analysts to support the Government’s mantra that ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’?
Technical and soft skills that can effectively contribute to the peak performance of the business and finance function in the workplace are now critical.
The Nziramasanga Presidential Commission of Enquiry into Education and Training (1999) which necessitated the creation of a new Primary and Secondary Education Curriculum commissioned in 2016, the Competency Based Education and Training curriculum Review for Technical Vocational Education and Training commissioned in 2012 and the Curriculum Review Exercise for Teacher Education completed in 2015 created a shift in the national skills complement.
This shift therefore creates greater need to audit the National Skills complement with a view to addressing critical skills shortages, mismatch and predict future needs.
Furthermore, the introduction of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) from 1991-1995 in Zimbabwe negatively impacted on the country’s economic and social environments.
These factors, among others, gave way to a deep economic and social crisis, mostly characterised by a hyperinflationary environment and low industrial capacity utilisation.
The economic challenges intensified between 2011 and 2015, with 4 610 companies closing shop, instituting job losses of 55 443 (Zimbabwe Budget Statement, 2015).
According to the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (2015), the industries and manufacturing sector were hard hit by several challenges which included the liquidity crunch, decline in productivity, flooding of cheap imports on the market and an increase in the cost of doing business in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is facing serious economic challenges ranging from economic sanctions, brain drain, corruption, retrenchments, de-industrialisation, global recession, rapid technological developments, rapid mutating economy resulting in decline of formal employment and the subsequent growth of informal employment, hence the need for a National Skills Audit.
Therefore, addressing Zimbabwe’s challenges requires evidence-based and credible data on human capital, in general, and skills (quantity and quality).
Such data is critical for policy formulation and planning. Such data is also used for monitoring and evaluating the progress and impact of human capital strategies as well as developing interventions in facilitating industrialisation and modernisation.
Therefore, the NCSA of 2018 reflects the complete range of skills levels from the low end to the high-end skills as required by the digital world and knowledge-based economy.
– The objectives of this National Critical Skills Audit (NCSA) of 2018 were to:identify the current skills, skills gaps, anticipated skills shortages, redundancies, skills surpluses, future skills and emerging skills trends that Zimbabwe has and requires, for industrialisation and modernisation;
– ascertain the causes of skills shortages by sector and by occupational category;
– identify recent and anticipated sectoral technological changes against their implications on skills development;
– determine skills available in the Diaspora that can be harnessed for Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and modernisation;
– establish a skills database to assist stakeholders to determine skills availability for major investments projects; and
– generate and submit an empirical skills audit report.
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development organised a stakeholder meeting and invited three representatives from:
– Research institutions;
-Industries;
-Professional Bodies;
– Employer Organisations;
– Local Government Authorities;
– Trade Unions;
– Academia;
– Polytechnics;
– Employment Agencies;
– Teachers Colleges;
– Industrial Training Colleges;
– Vocational Training Centres;
– SMEs; and
– Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
During the stakeholder meeting, the following skills clusters were formed;
– Business and Commerce;
– Engineering and Technology;Natural and Applied Sciences;
– Agriculture;
– Medical and Health Sciences; and
– Applied Arts and Humanities.
The skill clusters selected chairpersons to identify the critical skills and establish skills gaps, shortages and emerging skills trends for industrialisation and modernisation.
The clusters deliberated at length in their groups and thereafter, each cluster formed a technical team composed of the chairperson and a few experts conversant with the critical skills in their sector.
The technical teams consulted their sectors and conducted desk research to come up with the critical skills in their clusters.