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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
GOVERNMENT has crafted the Manpower Development Bill to realign the tertiary education system so that it becomes skills-based and contributes to the country’s industrial growth.

The Bill will equip students with skills so that they do not end up as mere job seekers but create employment.

Polytechnic lecturers’ welfare will also be addressed through the creation of a Tertiary Education Council (TEC) which will come through the Bill.

In an interview yesterday, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the Manpower Development Bill was gazetted.

“The Manpower Development Bill is on track; it is on the tracker where we say that it has gone for printing and it will be gazetted by Parliament. It’s already done. There are Parliamentary processes to be undertaken. As the Executive we are done with it,” he said.

Prof Murwira said in the past, people were content with searching for employment in industries, a perception he said ought to change through the Manpower Development Bill.

He said stakeholders in the education sector must work hard and adopt diverse innovative solutions to push the country towards prosperity.

“These amendments are designed to improve on service delivery and create a legal ground for the effective management of the institutions of higher and tertiary education, the parastatals that fall within the purview of the Act and professional bodies.

“Capability to cause the production of goods and services provision has therefore become the most important reason for the ministry,” he said.

Prof Murwira said issues covered in the Bill include promoting innovation, science and technology for industrialisation and modernisation.

“We propose to strengthen the Act so that it is explicit in the promotion of knowledge, science, technology and innovation for the industrialisation of Zimbabwe,” he said.