By Tendai Matunhu

Government through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is setting up training institutions for the youths who are interested in mining.

Speaking at the Young Professionals Forum (YPF) that was held at the ongoing Mining Engineering Transport Expo (Mine Entra), Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Polite Kambamura said, “In order to address some of these challenges in the mining sector, the Government has set up institutions like the Zimbabwe School of Mines and the Department of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy which train mining personnel and participate heavily in career open days to impart the relevant skills that are involved in mining.

“The Government through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education provides learnership to learners and graduates as part of bridging the gap on the employment market. Apart from employment, let me buttress Government’s commitment to supporting the youth initiative, through education and empowerment programmes to ensure the youths contribute to economic development,” he said.

Mr Kambamura also highlighted that YPF’s theme “Positioning Young Professionals in Exploring and Leveraging Mining Potential for the Future,” was appropriate given the importance of youths in sustainable socio-economic development of the country. He said the theme was in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of attaining a middle income status economy by 2030.