Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent
The National Youth Service training programme, which is a critical component for moulding responsible young people, is being reviewed, Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Dr Kirsty Coventry has said.
She said this last Friday ahead of the International Youth Day celebrations that were marked on Saturday.
The celebrations were held under the theme: “Green skills for youth: Towards a sustainable world”.
Minister Coventry said in line with the National Development Strategy 1, the National Youth Service training programme was being reviewed.
“The programme is a critical component for nurturing young people into responsible citizens with a clear sense of national identity and respect for national principles and values. It is not unique to Zimbabwe; it is a key feature of the youth development and empowerment agenda, national unity and stability of many progressive nations,” she said.
“To ensure that youth programming responds to the current youth needs, the Government has made significant progress in strengthening the youth sector demonstrated by the recent acquisition of the Zimbabwe Youth Council offices to serve young people’s special and unique needs. Promulgation of the Youth Bill is also at advanced stages.”
Minister Coventry said the law will serve to prioritise as well as regulate the development and empowerment of youths in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe laid the necessary national, institutional, policy and legal frameworks to create a protective and enabling environment with opportunities to enhance youth economic empowerment and meaningful participation in leadership and decision-making processes.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to several regional and international treaties and conventions that serve as strategic frameworks that give direction to the implementation of youth development and empowerment initiatives at all levels.
Section 20 of the Constitution commits the Government and all its institutions to take reasonable measures and affirmative action programmes to ensure that youths are provided with opportunities for education and skills development, economic empowerment, representation and participation.
“In the spirit of the aforementioned, Zimbabwe has a National Youth Policy, which provides a guiding framework for empowering youths in a comprehensive and coordinated multi-sectoral manner. The policy, which has been translated into 14 official languages including Braille and sign language, is aligned with provisions of the African Youth Charter and is consistent with the current youth needs and the national development agenda,” said Minister Coventry.
“In its bid to move the youth development and empowerment agenda forward, the Government established youth focal desks in all Government line ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that youth issues are mainstreamed across all sectors of the economy.”
There were more partnerships between the Government and development partners to gather more information regarding the youth demographic dividend in the areas of education and skills development, health, youth engagement, empowerment and participation, as well as youth employment and sustainable livelihoods.
The Government continued to invest in and provide vocational training and skills development programmes for young people, which enabled them to learn the skills to start their businesses after training, thereby creating employment and income for themselves and others.
In line with the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government established Empower Bank, a youth-focused bank aimed at facilitating youth financial inclusion.
Minister Coventry said production and incubation hubs had been established across the country to promote youth entrepreneurship, which focuses on capacitating youths and giving them practical business exposure before they are weaned off to operate on their own.
Government was applauding the tremendous work being done by development partners in complementing its efforts in creating sustainable jobs for youth.