Midlands Correspondent
BUY Zimbabwe says there is a need to expose youths to local industries so that they can explore economic opportunities for themselves and start their own businesses.

Buy Zimbabwe has launched a job placement programme in partnership with the International Youth Foundation that intends to recruit more than 250 interns in a bid to help young people appreciate entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe.

The programme will target youths from Bulawayo, Midlands, Harare and Manicaland who will be offered jobs as interns within the Buy Zimbabwe member organisations.

Speaking during a tour of Midlands industries with youths under the employability programme, Buy Zimbabwe chief executive officer, Mr Munyaradzi Hwengwere, said if youths remain shut out of the mainstream economy, local industrialisation will remain a pipe dream.

“Unless we tell our young people the message that it’s about producing for yourselves and buying from yourselves then the Buy Zimbabwe message will never succeed. But the other important objectives (of the Buy Zimbabwe Employability Programme), which is the reason why we are here, is that the average young person has never been to any factory floor or any company.

“So we are exposing the youth to understand that there are opportunities that exist and therefore they need to make space for themselves in that context.”

One of the beneficiaries of the employability programme, Beloved Nyakunhuhwa, a student studying towards a degree in Applied Bio-Sciences and Bio-technology at the Midlands State University, said she had found business opportunities she can exploit as most companies are importing things that can be manufactured locally.

“I’ve realised that we can do something with what we have because I have realised that most of the raw materials like rubber and polyester here at Bata (Shoe Company) are imported. So as Zimbabweans we can also manufacture these products and supply them to such companies,” she said.

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