By Rex Mphisa
THE government has established a Vocational Training Centre in Beitbridge district charting new grounds expected to equip thousands of school leavers.
The new development was announced at a full council meeting of the Beitbridge Rural District Council on Monday.
Acting District Development officer Stanley Moyo of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training told the session that head of the school Annah Chiriseri was already on the ground.
“We also have already been allocated land. The head of the school is here and ready to start,” said Moyo.
In an interview after the full council meeting Chiriseri said she is ready to start with some courses.
“We have courses like Solar Installations, Drip Irrigations, Baking etc which we are ready to start with as we speak. Later as we progress we will do courses that need practicals. We are determined to succeed,” she said.
Beitbridge has had no tertiary schools and most secondary graduates of the district had to go to other districts for courses.
Others, frustrated by lack of facilities, crossed the Limpopo River, to take up menial jobs usually as second class people.
Of late the hostility of South Africans has been driving back many Zimbabweans who have returned home but have little self-help solutions.
Vocational education helps youths in developing countries by directly linking skills to labour market needs, reducing high youth unemployment, and breaking cycles of poverty.
It equips young people with practical, job-ready skills—such as welding, coding, or agriculture—leading to higher employability, improved productivity, and increased income generation.
Of late Beitbridge has been on the wet side of rainfall patterns and a cropping pattern has rocked the countryside.
Chiriseri said short courses related to agriculture could improve the district food security and well as remove dependency.
“We will do practicals on the ground. We will need places to do practicals before we build our school,” she said.
Government has established some Village Business Units in the rural areas and these could be perfect sites for practicals.
In total there will be 54 Business units in the district significantly overhauling the cropping pattern the once arid district.