Zimbabwe August 2006 |
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| National skills audit launched, (Daily Mirror, 2006-08-30):-The government yesterday commissioned the national human resources audit to assist in the identification of critical areas in need of urgent attention, existing deficiencies and practical solutions aimed at addressing the challenges. Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Washington Mbizo, commissioned the human resources survey to be undertaken by South African-based Nepachem Consultants.The audit is a brainchild of the taskforce on human skills identification, deployment and retention, under the auspices of the National Economic Development Priority Programme (NEDPP).The plan is aimed at boosting economic recovery and national sustainability. As a demonstration of its commitment and the value it placed on the need for the human resources survey, the government has mobilised $37 million and US$40 000 to meet the cost of the exercise. Nepachem was tasked to identify the critical human resource shortages hindering economic recovery in both the public and private sectors, and skills requirements for long-term economic development. The human resources study is also tasked with the establishment of a national human resources database, which will be used to identify mismatches between qualifications and necessary job competencies, and recommend strategies for redressing deficiencies. Recommendations from the audit are expected to provide strategies to address critical human resources shortages, mismatches in job-related competencies and qualifications and suitable packages to attract and retain experienced and competent staff in critical areas. The survey is also expected to come up with practical strategies for the utilisation and establishment of synergies with Zimbabweans in other countries, as well as finding ways of recognising and rewarding creativity and innovation. Mbizvo said that the human resources audit was paramount to the country’s economic turnaround programme, noting that the task to find out the exact state of affairs regarding Zimbabwe’s human resources skills base had been assigned to a reputable company. “I am pleased to announce that Nepachem Consultants won the contract, and I am hereby honoured to commission them to undertake this noble national duty. “Nepachem was selected as the best out of eight companies, because it satisfied the taskforce on teamwork, capacity to undertake the survey of this magnitude, adequate qualified personnel for the fieldwork as well as adequate transport and other logistical facilities,” Mbizvo said. The permanent secretary also spoke on the need to determine the nature and magnitude of skills shortages and the critical skills required to turnaround the economy and growth sustainability. The national human resources survey is strongly supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as has been the case in a number of projects undertaken in the past. Nepachem Consultants representative Trindard Makunike, said that work on the study started some time ago, but official authorisation to commence the full-scale survey was received last week. She said questionnaires had already been printed, and enumerators trained and deployed in all the country’s ten provinces to begin the data collection process for the critical national exercise. “We believe that it is not too late for the sun to rise again for Zimbabwe,” said Makunike. She said that the audit results were expected to be available by October 23 this year. Zimbabwe’s human resources base has been seriously eroded by the flight of skills to other countries in pursuit of greener pastures, a situation that has been worsened by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. An estimated 4 million skilled Zimbabweans are living and working in other countries. This makes Zimbabwe’s internationally acclaimed educational institutions mere training grounds of highly skilled manpower for foreign countries, at the expense of the national economy. Asked if the country had enough resources to implement the recommendations of the human resources survey, Mbizvo said that the government had already earmarked financial resources to see those proposals through. “Government has already set aside $550 million for skills retention. The money is with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe,” he said. An intellectual homelink programme would also be established in the next two months to facilitate links with skilled personnel in the Diaspora. Its overall aim will be to encourage them to return home to meet the demand created by economic recovery.The homelink desk would also enable Zimbabwe to tap critical and skilled non-Zimbabwean personnel, who could be offered good incentives to come and work here. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |