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Mr Fredrick Mandizvidza

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) has so far invested more than $15 million in the STEM initiative.

Zimdef Chief Executive Officer Mr Fredrick Mandizvidza said 10 000 students are being supported by the fund.

“We have invested quite a significant amount of resources in the STEM initiative. In 2016 we invested $7,4 million, in 2017 we invested $7, 8 million and the total so far is $15,2 million and these are Government resources coming from industry. So we have 10 854 pupils that are being supported today,” said Mr Mandizvidza.

Speaking at a business luncheon on the Role of STEM and universities in Industrialisation and Modernisation in Bulawayo on Monday, the Zimdef boss said universities must now change their curriculum due to a backlash from industry that their products are half-baked.

“The purpose of education is to create people who are able to confront problems and solve them in a sustainable manner. Unless we have a critical mass of people in our society who are prepared to confront the problems of today and resolve them then we have a challenge,” he said.

Mr Mandizvidza challenged the country’s engineers and other technocrats to be innovative and relevant in the mordenisation and industrialisation drive.

“With all due respect to engineers, surveyors and any type of engineers who are here, the fact remains, if we look at our roads today, if we look at our town planning, if we look at the challenges with water, energy, perennial energy shortages and so on. These speak volumes about the calibre of our engineers and therefore I hazard to say this kind of engineer we have today, although he has gone through the engineering process, he is not adequately prepared to solve challenges,” he said.

“I find it difficult for an engineer to want to co-exist with potholes because honestly an engineer should be able to confront the pothole problem and address them if the kind of knowledge they have acquired is up to scratch.”

Mr Mandizvidza said Government, universities and private companies must take a long term view of the education system and act now.

“By 2025, there is going to be massive demand for industrial data scientists, robot engineers, digital engineers and 3D-computer-aided design experts.
Universities must transform and also take advantage of opportunities offered by “Massive Open Online Courses” (MOOCs), including Industry 4.0 into their curricula,” he said.

The Zimdef CEO said this can only be achieved by building the right kind of knowledge, skills and capabilities for Industry.

Mr Mandizvidza said it was high time the country adopted emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big Data & Data Analytics, 3D Printing, automation and cloud computing.

“We should now focus on embedded Intelligence Systems, genomic medicine, nanotechnology, smart grids, digital Transformation, virtual Technologies (AR & VR), cyber Physical Systems and wireless sensor networks,” he said. — @AuxiliaK