261 graduate at Kwekwe Poly
AT least 261 students were conferred with certificates in various Integrated Skills Outreach Programme (ISOP) disciplines at Kwekwe Polytechnic College last Friday.
Speaking during the 9th graduation ceremony held at the campus, Kwekwe Poly acting principal Engineer Calisto Muzongondi said the college was aiming at playing a major role in economic growth through its Small and Medium Enterprise division.
Eng Muzongondi said the college was offering life skills, which did not require academic qualifications to allow rural students to take part in the programmes.
“Our college, which has a mandate to play a role in the economic growth of the nation, offers the life skills programme that does not require any academic qualifications to train,” he said.
Eng Muzongondi said the college’s aim was to churn out entrepreneurs, not employees.
“Some of our students own their hair salons, catering companies, welding and carpentry companies and many other businesses out there,” he said.
“We do not train our students to go out there to look for jobs, but we train them to be entrepreneurs as we know the future of the nation is in the hands of young people.”
Of the 261 graduates, Eng Muzongondi said, 71 percent were females, a feat he said showed the college adhered to the country’s gender policy.
The SMEs division comprises of engineering, commerce and applied sciences programmes.
The institution offers skills upgrading programme, Integrated Skills Outreach (ISO), as well as various other life skills short courses.