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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

THE Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation has set a target of training close to 3 000 youths countrywide to equip them with business skills.

The programme seeks to position youths aged between 18 and 35 in different sectors of the economy for them to contribute towards an upper middle income economy by 2030, director for employment creation in the ministry, Ms Caroline Murewi, said.

She was speaking at the close of a recent two-day business management training in Victoria Falls. Mr Resistant Ncube, an officer from the ministry facilitated the training.

Ms Murewi said Government seeks to facilitate a conducive business environment to create employment and supply of raw materials for budding entrepreneurs.

“The programme offers youths between 18 and 35 a platform to get business ideas and also to build onto their entrepreneurial skills.

We are targeting those into business and brown field projects,” she said.

“We are moving to all provinces and target at least 2 500 young people in the next three months.

We want to enhance their business ideas and enterprises so they do profitable business.

This programme augurs well with vision 2030 given by President Mnangagwa and we envisage young people who will hold our banners walking into the upper middle income economy for this country.”

So far training sessions have been done in Bulawayo and Mutare and Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces. Ms Murewi said the ministry was equipping youths with foundational skills to play a part in economic transformation agenda.

She said some youth expos have been lined up in provinces and will feed into a national exhibition to be held in Mutare where youths are expected to showcase their innovations.

A total of 10 young persons from each of the country’s provinces will take part.

“We expect these young people to come up with more ideas and innovations that they can showcase.

We should be having young entrepreneurs moving the economy in different sectors,” said Ms Murewi.

She appealed to youths to be passionate about business, saying money follows ideas. An official from Victoria Falls Municipality challenged youths to form groups and approach the local authority to apply for land to operate from. — @ncubeleon.nds.