Minister of Community Development Doreen Mwamba says her ministry will prioritise awarding business contracts to youths that have undergone the Zambia National Services (ZNS) skills training programme.
Ms. Mwamba said this will enable the young people that acquired skills from ZNS to establish businesses.
She has also stated that government will link some of the ZNS trained youths to the economic industrial yards across the country so that they can operate from there after forming cooperatives.
The Minister said this in Kitwe today when she officiated at the graduation ceremony of 216 youths at Kitwe ZNS youths training centre.
Ms. Mwamba further said government will modernise the training facilities in ZNS training centres so that they match with advanced technology standards.
She said this will consequently enable the training centres produce graduates that will be attractive to the labour market.
“Training of youths in life support skills is a sure way of addressing unemployment, a challenge which is giving the new dawn government sleepless nights,” she said.
Ms. Mwamba added that, “..this training programme will not make sense unless you establish your own entrepreneurships and start contributing to the economic development of the country”.
The Minister further stated that government will in future upscale the number of youths enrolled in each intake so that more young people can be trained.
She has since commended the ZNS training staff for their effort to produce fully baked graduates despite the challenges that they face in the process.
And Zambia National Services Deputy Commandant Reuben Mwewa has urged the graduating youths to fully use the skills they have acquired in order to make a difference in their lives.
Major General Mwewa said ZNS was ready to support government in reducing unemployment through the life skills training programme.
He assured the minister that the graduating youths were fully trained to start their own businesses or be employed.
“The 216 graduating youths will be attached with the Zambia Airforce, Zambia Army and ZNS for a 12 months internship to further build on their acquired skills,” he said.
And Rita Banda, a re-formed former sex worker, commended government for the skills she has attained.
Banda, who revealed that she once contemplated committing suicide due to destitution, said the ZNS training has given her hope for a better future.
She said she will try to persuade some youths she left on the streets to embark on agriculture activities.
Another graduate, Previous Mwape, said the acquired skills have given the graduating youths impetus to work and create employment for others.
The 216 graduating youths have been trained in bricklaying, general agriculture, shoe making, poultry, piggery and tailoring among other life support skills.
Absolutely! However, there’s need for a more comprehensive plan. The ZNS has very little in terms of mission, vision and goals. We need this organisation restructured and upgraded. Let’s link it to the nation’s developmental goals then begin setting colleges, universities. farms, workshops and companies to deal with education, training, production and distribution. Let’s think outside the box!
How can a tradesman be now be tendering and preparing bids for GRZ contracts…how will you prioritise them? You havent really thought this one through and you are also forgetting how ministers in the PF used to steal money as evident in the AG Report where even Repair Shops were being awarded with million dollar sub contractors. You are forgetting that such systems are prone to abuse by you yourselves what is stopping you from registering a proxy company employing these youth and awarding yourselves all these contracts you claim to prioritise?
ZNS FOR ONE IS LACKING DISIPLINE
THEIR RECUITS ARE GIVEN VERY BASIC SKILLS IF ANY ?
ONLY GOD KNOWS HOW THIS WILL WORK
THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN
UPND IS TRYING TO APPEASE EVERYONE AND WILL END UP DISSAPOINTING MOST
WE FOUGHT SO HARD TO BOOT PF OUT
LETS SEE SENSIBLE, WORKING PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE PLEASE
This is a PF initiative to empower youth we are yet to see the new dawn programs…Minister you cannot ‘priorities’ an open competition..what you might insist is that anyone bidding for a contract must include a component that absorbs at least ten…number can vary of those with skills off the zns program and that such ’employees’ will own an equity share holding in the employing company so that their future is secured…
Chipante Pante government doing what has become the norm….useless strategy ZNS is the headquarters of all corruption in Zambia…. UPND IS DEFINATELY A ONE TERM PARTY
mathew – They can even go further and implement a policy that only awards contracts to main construction contractors especially foreign that absorb at least a set percentage towards apprenticeship. Time for lip service is gone where the President was pleading for 20% subcontracts to locals which was not even enforced on half billion dollar contracts.
From the sentiments of the incumbent President things must be done differenlty from the way things were done under the PF government. But this smells like cadreism from the PF government, only rebranded under UPND. The offering of contracts based on a general criteria like attaining ZNS training without providing details of how youths can access such training is a recipe for corruption and caderism. Every deserving Zambian youth must be given an equal opportunity to access these contracts. This means that the criteria for awarding contracts must be transparently formulated based on the principle of equality as long as you are Zambian. If the criteria exist it must be tweaked to root out favoritism based on qualification, like attaining ZNS qualifications before a youth can access these…
“Ministry will prioritise awarding business contracts to youths that have undergone the Zambia National Services (ZNS) skills training program”. Contracts must be based on merit, not on having gone to Zambia National Service skills training program. What happens to those guys and dolls that have gone on job training under father, mother or anyone – Grand Training, those completed, trades schools, colleges and universities and are not working? Going to National Service for skills is not a passport to get a contract from the government, but to acquire a skill. Most Zambians overlook tradesmen/tradeswomen, thinking that they only need 6 months, a year or a year and half; for example an electrician, millwright or power engineer in North America takes 4 years to be trained. No wonder most of…