By Patience Gondo
A new vocational skills training programme targeting young people in Mwenezi District has opened for applications.
It is offering practical training in irrigation systems and metal fabrication as part of efforts to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship.
It can also address rural industrialisation.
The Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT) with support from the OAK Foundation has begun enrolling students for its fifth intake at the Rutenga Youth Vocational Skills Training Centre.
The programme is aimed at equipping youths with hands on technical skills that can be used to start small businesses or secure employment within their communities.
According to the programme outline, trainees will be enrolled in one of two courses solar and drip irrigation installation systems which will take 20 candidates and metal fabrication, which will accommodate 10 candidates.
Each course will run for two months comprising one month of face to face training and a further month of off-site support from instructors.
“The goal is not just to train but to ensure that young people can turn these skills into sustainable livelihoods,” the Training Centre Coordinator said.
“Upon completion, participants will receive certificates and continued support to either establish service provision businesses or seek employment.”
Applications are open to male and female Zimbabwean citizens aged between 18 and 35 years who reside in any rural ward in Mwenezi District.
Applicants must have passed at least three ‘O’ Level subjects, including ZIMSEC or Cambridge qualifications and must be able to secure accommodation in Rutenga for the duration of the training.
Participants are also required to pay US$50 or the equivalent of R900 to cover protective clothing and meals during training. Programme organisers said selection will be conducted through an open and transparent process.
“No one will be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race, disability or religion,” the coordinator said.
Interested candidates are required to submit their applications and a short curriculum vitae, clearly indicating their preferred course, by January 28, 2026.
Applications can be sent to the Training Centre Coordinator at the Sustainable Agriculture Technology offices in Rutenga Industrial Park, or submitted electronically via email or WhatsApp.
Successful applicants will be notified ahead of the programme’s commencement, with classes scheduled to begin on February 2, 2026.
Selected candidates are expected to report to the Registry offices in Rutenga at 7:15am on the same day.
Programme officials have urged eligible youths to apply early, saying that late submissions will not be accepted.