Zimbabwe must align education with labour market needs – Mugaga

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) chief executive officer Christopher Mugaga has challenged the country to align its education and skills development systems with the evolving labour market, while reforming labour laws to better protect workers and support industrialisation.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Tripartite Negotiating Forum Global Summit in Victoria Falls, Mugaga said high literacy levels alone do not guarantee economic development if graduates lack skills relevant to industry.

He said African countries must interrogate whether their education systems are producing graduates capable of driving innovation, industrialisation and job creation.

The challenge, he said, is illustrated by the disconnect in some African countries between strong university systems and persistently high youth unemployment.

“When we celebrate numbers, what kind of employees are we creating?” he asked.

Mugaga said Zimbabwe’s performance on human capital, innovation and talent competitiveness must be viewed in the context of its industrialisation ambitions.

He also warned that advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the skills required in the workplace, making it increasingly important for both workers and employers to adapt to technological change.

More: The Herald