ICT the way to go

EDITOR — In the 1980s and the 90s life was so great in Zimbabwe, just by attending a university and graduating with a good degree was all you needed to secure a good job in Zimbabwe.

Today, things have changed, jobs are scarce and a university degree no longer guarantees one a job.

Yet universities continue to churn out graduates year in year out and these universities are still not keeping up with the current changes.

The graduating class of 2017 are entering an employment market already bloated with unemployed graduates of yesteryear.

The environment in Zimbabwe is clear that there is need to create more jobs and more business opportunities, yet our academic institutions still focus on raising employable graduates rather than entrepreneur ones.

Students typically get into and out of university with only one sole aim of becoming an employee for only to have their dreams shattered.

Unlike many other sectors of the Zimbabwean economy facing all sorts of operating challenges, the ICT industry has remained remarkably resilient in the face of the macroeconomic instability.

At this time when our economy growth is slow and continuously volatile in Zimbabwe, our new Government should be looking for policies that will stimulate growth and create new jobs.

With the incoming President stressing the importance of, “jobs, jobs, jobs” and the need for economic growth, the ICT has become a serious economic driver and the number one contributor to the fiscal.

It is not only one of the fastest growing industries directly creating thousands of jobs, but it is also an important enabler of innovation and development.

Almost all firms and consumers use mobile devices, computers and Internet connection for their day-to-day tasks and this contributes to the Zimbabwe’s economy, such as providing consumers with a more diversified and customised products, improving product quality, and selling goods and services.

ICT touches nearly every industry sector with innovative, personalised and efficient solutions.

Along with the growing impact of individuals, the entire ICT communication system includes fixed and mobile network operators, internet service providers, chipset design firms, device manufacturers, application developers, content owners and infrastructure providers.

Evidently, the extension of ICT and its influences on economic growth in both developed and developing countries has increased very fast during the last two decades.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advances have given ICT students opportunities to start and grow businesses.

As a dominant group that follow ICT advances, youth, especially university students, have been taking the opportunity to start businesses by utilising ICT and their ICT skills.

The entrepreneurship trend also pushes them to become entrepreneurs and there is a need for mentorship during the entrepreneurship process.

Zimbabwe economic growth and development will not be achieved without the appropriate economic and social infrastructure. The new dispensation has to focus on the improvement and the quality of infrastructure services. This has to be the cornerstone of the country’s strategies, policies and programmes to promote economic growth.

By adopting the right policies, strategies and programmes, Government should be encouraging the incorporation of ICT investments in all physical infrastructures (water supplies, smart buildings, smart roads, electricity grids, smart transport system, school systems and natural disaster-prevention programmes) in a way that encourage fair and open markets with great incentives for investment, open and transparent procedures, collaboration and innovation.

To conclude, while all the other sectors of Zimbabwe’s economy experiences a period of extreme difficulties, the ICT sector presents a tremendous opportunity for economic growth.

Without doubt, ICT is a critical foundation upon which the Zimbabwean economic recovery will occur.

To ensure this potential, all parties including the Government of Zimbabwe must uphold their responsibilities to ensure healthy market-based relationships, where parties both compete and cooperate.

Make no mistake, the ICT industry sector is strong and economically healthy.

The ICT sector has the potential to creation plus or minus 40 000 new jobs if the participates in all current and future infrastructure development. Jacob Kudzayi.