Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
DADANI Technical College in Victoria Falls has ventured into manufacturing of boats, canoes, kayaks and other fibreglass equipment used by tourists for various activities in the resort town.

The project is expected to contribute immensely to entrepreneurial skills development in line with the vocational-technical development thrust.

All along tour operators have been acquiring such equipment for use in rafting, bungee jumping and canoeing from Harare and outside the country.

The commencement of the project was revealed by Employers’ Association of Tourism and Safari Operators president, Mr Clement Mukwasi during an event at the school.

He said tour operating companies will provide a ready market for the products. Mr Mukwasi challenged schools to adopt a skills based education approach to produce self-reliant individuals who do not aspire to be employed but to employ.

“While some schools focus on sport as their extra-curricular domain, Dadani focuses on skills oriented development to aid those children whose intellect on academics is less favourable.

“I am happy to announce that canoes, kayaks, boats and other fibreglass facilities used by tourists in Victoria Falls are now going to be manufactured by you schoolchildren here at Dadani and wish to assure you that the tourism industry, which I lead shall be eagerly waiting to buy the products as soon as they are on the market,” said Mr Mukwasi who was guest of                                                                                                   honour.

He said Victoria Falls desperately requires a technical school to impart skills to locals so that  companies do not import skilled labour from other cities and towns to work in the resort town.

The school head Mrs Gladys Ndlovu appealed to the corporate world to assist by taking her pupils for industrial attachment.

“I would want to thank the guest of honour who has donated text books for various subjects and some organisations for their various donations.

“We would want to appeal to parents to pay fees as all our projects are funded from fees and also appeal to the business world to help us by taking our pupils for industrial attachment,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

@ncubeleon