Take up engineering courses, students told

STUDENTS should take up engineering courses as they are important in the industrialisation of the nation, a Cabinet minister has said.

Speaking during the graduation of 2 071 students at Harare Polytechnic College, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said Government was pleased that more students were taking up engineering, which is important as it leads to job creation.

“We need to have more of our young people taking up engineering disciplines, we need to graduate more and more people who would create jobs,” he said.

“It is pleasing to note that the number of ‘other disciplines’ is going down and there is an increase in the engineering discipline, which is key to the industrialisation and modenisation thrust,” said Professor Moyo.

Prof Moyo said Government is making legislative changes to respond to demand for relevant learning and research for a science-and technology-led industrialisation process.

“The ministry is seized with redefinition of the polytechnics to ensure that they primarily focus on STEMitised application of existing and new knowledge for purposes of reverse engineering, re-engineering and the training of technicians and engineering technologists, who design and manufacture patentable industrial products and are well versed in Zimbabwe’s culture and heritage and in this regard, the curriculum ought to mutate in line with the requisite national aspirations,” he said.

Prof Moyo said: “There is need for compulsory cultural and heritage studies in all higher and tertiary education institutions of the country, which is in line with the new curriculum imperatives in the primary and secondary education sector.”

Prof Moyo said transformation of polytechnics into degree-awarding institutions is the best way of training engineering technologists with skills that are commensurate with industrial demands.

“The ministry has suggested that polytechnics either affiliate to a university that has a department or faculty of technology or engineering or meeting the prescribed requirements to be a degree-awarding institution,” he said.

“The role of polytechnics is to make ‘industry work’ by incorporating existing and new knowledge generated in or by universities and other institutions.”

Speaking at the same event, Harare Polytechnic principal Engineer Tafadzwa Mudondo said the institution has stepped up implementing Government’s instruction by enrolling more engineering students.

The 2017 enrolment currently stands at 6 900 compared with 5 548 in 2016.