Zimbabwe has launched the Zimbabwe Global Skills Partnership Programme as part of efforts to harness local and diaspora expertise to accelerate industrialisation and support the attainment of Vision 2030, which was noted as, “collective responsibility for each and every Zimbabwe.”
Speaking at the launch in Harare, on Wednesday, Skills Audit and Development Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the programme seeks to align education, skills development and labour deployment with national economic priorities.
“Human capital development remains a priority in terms of transforming this economy,” said Dr Muswere.
He said the initiative would help Government coordinate talent across sectors and convert outward migration into national value.
Speaking on the need to align human capital with national development goals, he said the focus must now shift to re-skilling and up-skilling citizens while harnessing the country’s intellectual capacity to drive productivity and innovation. With the key question being how Zimbabwe can better define and utilise its intellectual power as a people in order to propel sustainable economic growth.
Dr Muswere said the programme would also help Zimbabwe identify the exact competencies required to modernise production systems and reduce import dependence.
“This is precisely why the Ministry of Skills, Audit and Development is one of the key ministries that is going to propel Vision 2030,” he added.
Echoing the Ministers remarks, Permanent Secretary Ambassador Rudo Chitiga said the programme provides a coordinated framework for identifying, verifying and utilising Zimbabwean skills in line with labour market demand.
“The ZGSPP provides a coordinated framework that supports the identification, verification and utilisation in an evidence-based, policy-aligned and institutionally coherent manner of our skills,” she said.
She said the platform would help Government better plan training pipelines by linking student output with real market demand at home and abroad.
At the centre of the programme is the ZGSPP Hub, an official online platform that connects Zimbabweans seeking overseas work with verified employers through a safe and centralised process.
“The entire life cycle takes place from signing up to finding a job and being supported with travel abroad and being supported well abroad and finally when returning home,” she said.
Amb Chitiga said the initiative also protects the country against loss of professional value among migrants.
The programme is expected to strengthen skills transfer, boost diaspora remittances and improve the contribution of Zimbabwean talent to national development under Vision 2030.