1 May 2008
editorial
Ndola — THOUSANDS of college graduates are thrown onto the streets every year with no prospects for employment or ever setting up an industry of their own.
This is a problem that has been with the country for a long time.
Government, Toolkit Programme and the Citizenship Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) are offering long-term solutions.
Through the Toolkit Programme and the CEEC, the Government wants education institutions to be empowered to diversify without losing focus on their core business.
This means colleges have now been given permission to form companies that would be run by their former students.
This is a great idea. We welcome this initiative about which Science, Technology and Vocational Training Permanent Secretary Buleti Nsemukila challenged trades training institutes in Zambia to use their skills to improve technology and other sectors.
This is what Zambians have been yearning for since a well-managed skill training programme is a gateway to development for any country.
Dr Nsemukila said trades training institutes should use their practical skills to contribute to Zambia's development and the onus is on them to convince politicians, policy makers and the public that they are able to move the country forward.
By forming incubation companies, graduates will be able to create jobs and absorb those not fortunate to penetrate the job market.
Education institutes such as trades training institutes have been the pillars of many developed countries.
Countries that have achieved highly have largely depended on skilled labour that has taken over many spheres of society especially in industry.
For Zambia, small-scale industries have not been playing a meaningful part in economic development.
Instead, hundreds of trained Zambians have ended up diversifying into other fields such as banking, law and accounts, abandoning what they were trained for.
It is our hope that many skilled Zambians will now be able to get jobs in these incubation companies to be formed by colleges upon graduation while others will be able to take advantage of the CEEC to access funding and set up their own shops.
This will, however, be possible if Zambians, especially those in rural areas, are made aware of the existence of the CEEC and what it entails.
Since most trades training institutes are in the rural parts of Zambia, it will be important to start pilot projects for these incubation companies outside the line of rail.
For any development programme to bear fruits, it has to start where it will be more appreciated and rural Zambia offers this chance.
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