Journal of Social Development in Africa (198 7), 2,2, 35-48 
Youth Skills Training as a Strategy for 
Rural Employment in Zimbabwe: A 
Case Study 
DANIEL P KASAMBIRA + 
ABSTRACT 
This article attempts to assess the role of Youth Training Centres in 
Zimbabwe by reference to observation and investigation ('case studies') of two 
training centres, one a government training centre established since 
Independence and one a nongovernment training centre established prior to 
Independence. This article compares the two centres on the basis of history, 
geographical situation, level of educational requirement for entry, programme 
content and flexibility, and employment creating ability, amongst several 
variables. Some attention is paid to the need to train for rural development 
and to the concept of education with production and how these concepts have 
been translated practically in these centres. 
The discussion on the two centres is used to point to some potential policy 
implications for training and education and focuses on the need for 
collaboration, coordination and cooperation between the public and private 
youth training centres. The author ends on a note of optimism born out of the 
recognition of the problem of youth unemployment and training needs in 
Zimbabwe and the attempts to deal with these problems. 
Introduction 
Much national attention and concern is being generated over the issue of 
youth unemployment. As high unemployment rates sweep the nation it seems 
appropriate to assess the role of youth training centres, highlighting current 
trends and underlying issues vis-a-vis skills training for youth. 
This is only a case study of two youth training centres; one public and one 
non-governmental, at one particular point in time. Therefore, its empirical 
base is very narrow - one out of 13 government youth training centres and also 
one among numerous non-government ones. The two training centres were 
selected on the basis of (1) willingness to share normally unavailable 
information and insights; (2) logistics of convenience and practically in the 
Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Work, Maiisfield University, Mansfield, 
Pennsylvannia 16933, USA.
36 Daniel P Kasambira 
case of Magamba; (3) national reputation in the case of Driefontein; (4) 
favourable recommendations; (5) type of sponsorship; (6) potential ease of 
comparison; (7) programme focus, notwithstanding specifics and 
idiosyncrasies. 
In order to obtain accurate data and gain an understanding of the dynamics 
of the two selected youth training centres, the author utlised on-site 
observation and investigation including such documentation as existed, over a 
six-month period. Among the major findings of the study are structural, 
organisational, and operational differences, positive and/or negative aspects of 
the programmes responsible for the apparent success or lack of it, strengths 
and weaknesses of each programme and possible planning and policy 
implications. 
This study makes no pretense of being exhaustive either in topics or in 
references. Only findings that, in the author's view, are supported by reliable 
sources and investigative data have been included. 
Almost immediately after gaining independence in April 1980, the 
Government embarked on a programme to establish a network of youth 
centres through the country. These were residential work training 
programmes focused chiefly on rural youth and work in rural areas. They 
were organised primarily for the unschooled youth where literacy and trade 
skills could be learned, providing unemployed youth with skills needed in the 
locality. 
In reply to one Member of Parliament's question to the Minister of Youth, 
Sports and Culture regarding the activities being carried out at Youth Camps, 
which were previously viable agricultural enterprises, the Deputy Minister, 
Mr Midzi, had this to say: 
"These are skills-training institutions or centres at the farm. Basically, 
these training institutions are used to train and equip youth with 
practical skills which emable them to effectively participate in rural 
development programmes such as co-operatives of various types and 
other self-reliant projects. There is a wide range of skills taught which 
include, for your information, agriculture, building, home economics, 
weaving, typing, bookkeeping, accounts and office practice. The 
training programmes undertaken on these farms which are now turned 
into training centres is very practical-oriented or based so that trainees 
also do a lot of production as part and parcel of their training; hence the 
farms are still viable production centres over and above their primary 
function as training institutions.'' 
Of late, much has been said on the concept of education with production. In 
trying to modify the direct linkage or correlation between education and 
employment, the Government is calling into question the wisdom and
Youth Skills Training 37 
appropriateness of a massive quantative expansion of the educational system, 
especially at the primary level, that fails to provide practical skills, crucial in 
the world of work. Until recently, formal education had become what Todaro 
(1982) calls the 'the rationing tunnel through which all prospective job-seekers 
and/or holders must pass.' There is clear evidence that many current efforts 
on the part of the Ministry of Education are being directed towards an 
educational system and content that improves and equips Zimbabwean youths 
for living. In the 'People's Weekly' (1985) it was stated that the education 
system, under ZANU (PF), will aim to raise the ideological consciousness of the 
people in the political, social, cultural and economic spheres. Technical 
subjects will become the core around which academic subjects revolve to meet 
the needs of industrialisation. This will apply from the primary level upwards. 
In January 1981, at the initiative of the Minister of Education, Dr Dzingai 
Mutumbuka, the Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with production 
(ZIMFEP) was established with the following madate: 
"to resettle the thousands of former refugee children who had been 
studying in camps in Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia during the 
liberation struggle and at the same time to transform the colonial 
education system which Zimbabwe inherited at independence.'' 
A prevailing notion seems to exist that the new is created, not out of the old, 
not out of the best of the old, but out of the death of the old. ZIMFEP was given 
the crucial task of pioneering educational experiments that would overcome 
the division between theory and practice, mental and manual labour, 
academic and practical subjects. The new approach links schooling to real life 
and to the needs of the society and became known as 'education with 
production'. ZIMFEP views co-operatives as one of the major sources of job 
creation and has encouraged schools to set up co-operative projects and to 
teach co-operative principles. 
In terms of technical services, ZIMFEP has launched a new programme 
which assists in upgrading the practical subjects such as building, woodwork, 
metal work, agriculture, home economics and farm mechanics taught at the 
schools, set up production units at schools and provide further training to 
school leavers. In May 1984 Dr Mutumbuka stated: "it is absolutely a matter 
of life and death that these skills needed for the development of Zimbabwe 
become part and parcel of the school curriculum." The Prime Minister 
concurred when he stated at Glen Norah School, "... a country brimful of 
theorists without manual workers is headed for self-destruction. This is a 
bankrupt policy which is headed to starvation amidst a wealth of untapped 
resources." It was reported in Moto (1985) that the current content of
38 Daniel PKasambira 
education is considered to be irrelevant for development because it does not 
equip students with skills for self-employment, but gives them only basic 
literacy skills. 
Rural training centres have been established to provide needed vocational 
skills for youth. So far, it has been reported that 13 of these youth centres are 
operational nationwide. About 75 to 80 per cent of the course work is practical 
with only a minimum of theory. The idea behind the training is to equip the 
young people with basic technology and skills which will enable them to either 
go back into their rural communities as better farmers, or to start agricultural 
co-operatives of their own. 
Useful practical suggestions regarding the training schemes were submitted 
by Brand et al (1980) in the document entitled Zimbabwe Youth Services: 
Some Proposals. The group suggested that the training schemes launched 
should be closely related to employment opportunities. The employment 
opportunities will either be existing already or they might have to be created 
within the rural areas. The training programme should be structured in such a 
way that some of its graduates would be able to create self-employment 
projects. 
The basic assumption in conceptualising vocational training is that the 
curriculum developed and offered responds to the skills needs of the rural 
youth, rural community and the nation at large. Much has been said and 
written regarding the concept of appropriate technology. Technology can only 
be deemed appropriate in the context of some predetermined goals nad 
objectives that are provided or generally accepted as the direction of beneficial 
change and utility. The following two case studies highlight some typical 
aspects of how the Zimbabwe government, through the Ministry of Youth, 
Sport and Culture, and other non-governmental organisations are attempting 
to equip rural youth with the appropriate technologies and skills for use in the 
rural areas of Zimbabwe. 
Magamba Youth Training Centre 
Shortly after independence, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture opened 
several youth training centres in an attempt to cater for and accommodate the 
thousands of young people who had been displaced by the war of liberation 
and to see to it that they were trained and somehow gainfully employed. 
Situated about 20 kilometres from the Mutare city centre is the Magamba 
Training Centre personally visited by the author for on-site investigative and 
observational study. Magamba, with a population of 288 trainees, 59 of whom 
are girls, had a very humble beginning indeed in terms of physical facilities. 
After three year of existence, it now boasts a new campus comprising 
dormitories, classrooms, workshops and administration building and dining 
and cooking facilities.
Youth Skills Training 39 
Programme 
The youth who undergo training at Magamba as well,as the other twelve 
training centres all over the country are Youth Brigade members chosen by 
their districts. Applications are submitted through the district Ministry of 
Youth office to the provincial councils and finally to the head office in Harare. 
The head office then allocates the trainees on the basis of expressed selfinterest 
and the availability of vacancies. Entry qualifications into the twoyear 
programme reveal diverse backgrounds of academic achievement. The 
Principal of the centre explained that so far intakes have been restricted to 
those applicants with little or no formal education. These, admittedly, happen 
to be the most disadvantaged and lack ways and means for self-improvement. 
Upon entry into the programme, the trainees are divided into two categories 
by education, those from grades 0-7 and those from form 2 to 4. This 
separation is intended to facilitate communication and instruction. For those 
trainees who do not speak or understand English, classes and lectures are held 
in the vernacular and examinations are administered orally for those who are 
illiterate or functionally literate. Skills are taught with a practical bias. The 
graduates are not specialists but practicalists. In order to achieve this goal, 
about 75 per cent of the course work is practical with the rest devoted to theory 
related to the practical thrust. 
Courses offered at Magamba include, among others, agriculture and 
physical education both of which are compulsory to all. The rationale for 
making agriculture compulsory has to do with agriculture being the main 
occupation in the rural areas from which the trainees come and to which, it is 
hoped, they will return to Settle upon the completion of their training. In view 
of the government's resettlement scheme, utilising what one would describe as 
'land without men for men without land,' the graduates will go back to these 
communities as equipped and better farmers or to start agricultural co-ops of 
their own. 
The agricultural component of the training programme includes livestock 
(pigs, cows, chickens) horticulture, forestry and conservation and farming 
management. The agricultural sequence begins in September each year so 
that the trainees can be involved in the whole process, from ploughing, 
seeding, tending and harvesting, to marketing and accounting. Surplus 
produce is sold to the public while the rest is used for the student body. The 
grain is used as the staple. Chickens are kept for meat, eggs and for sale, and 
so are other livestock. The overall emphasis is on education with production. 
In addition to agriculture, other courses must also be taken and passed. 
These include carpentry, roofing, plumbing, joinery, welding and building 
for the boys and home economics for the girls including cookery, fashion and 
fabrics (sewing), weaving, knitting and crotcheting and homecraft including 
decorations. The trainees attend the school free of charge and are supplied 
with uniforms as well as protective clothing.
40 Daniel P Kasambira 
Those trainees in Grades 0-7 begin with carving and stone work, leather 
work and simple wood work. Uncertain of immediate employment upon the 
completion of the training, carving and stone work can provide the graduates 
with income while waiting for the jobs for which they were trained to become 
available. The needed raw materials are almost always readily accessible 
without cost and a market for the finished products exists both in the rural and 
urban areas. 
In order to provide the trainees with a meaningful work experience, 
Magamba trainees in building and carpentry have been involved in the 
building of Odzi Secondary School, and a clinic in the Makoni district, free of 
charge. This exercise exposes the trainees to the world of work and practical 
experience and training. The experience also encourages the trainees and 
gives them confidence in their training, skills and the ability to use them in the 
real world. They are able to establish their credibility and reputation in the 
community through these community projects. Skills in building, carpentry, 
plumbing and roofing were effectively utilised in these projects. 
One of the major problems that the centre graduates are confronted with is 
that of finance or capital. Training without the provision of financial 
assistance to enable the young people to get established, for instance, 
workshops for graduates in carpentry is a drawback. The Government has 
realised this and according to the Deputy Minister of Youth, Mr Midzi, 
"Youth projects have been started with interest-free loans provided by the 
Government. The projects operate on a co-operative basis with the majority 
being in the area of agriculture." The Principal of the centre hoped that those 
graduating at Magamba, who desire to take advantage of the government's 
offer of loans, would do so and establish workshops in the rural areas from 
which they orginally came. 
Currently, several graduates of the training centre are making school 
benches for the Mutare City Council on contract. The Centre has provided 
the use of one of the buildings for a workshop and formed a co-operative in the 
process. Obviously, the Centre is extremely proud and happy over this 
achievement and the utilisation of the skills gained at the Training Centre. 
While Magamba may be enjoying some degree of well deserved success and 
achievement, several unfavourable conditions prevail. Beginning with the 
name, Magamba is closely associated with the struggle. The assumption is 
that the name should in fact elicit a sense of pride and achievement. Some 
interviewees, including the staff, attested to the erroneous connotation 
reflective of the unpleasant war experience that the povo are trying to forget. 
Magamba suffers a distorted and tarnished local public image. Sadly, through 
no faut of its own, the public perceives the Training Centre in terms of a 
'military academy'. The uniforms, the required physical exercises which the 
public interprets as military drills, the name, the behaviour and attitude of
Youth Stills Training 41 
some of the trainees, the government sponsorship of the programme and the 
refugee and veteran status of most of the trainees all seem to convey and 
confirm that image. The physical isolation of the Centre also perpetuates the 
military image that the trainees portray. Happily, due to a great deal of 
effective public relations efforts on the part of the administration, the image is 
changing for the better. In terms of location, Magamba is virtually 
surrounded by commercial farms and only 20 kilometers from downtown 
Mutare. This makes it peri-urban. This situation effectively deprives it of the 
sense of being part and parcel of a viable community. Its interaction with the 
public on a regular basis is almost non-existent. Consequently, the centre 
lacks visibility to the potential client, and arena for activities, the community, 
while, because of its newness, it needs to prove its quality and validity 
Generally, government-operated institutions seem to lack the necessary 
flexibility that permits innovation and experimentation with new ideas and 
evolving approaches. Essentially, what this flexibility adds up to is the 
freedom to do whatever is necessary to achieve the objectives of the 
programme. The formality and rigidity of operation being experienced 
appears to be driving our creativity and blocking action at Magamba Centre. 
On the opposite side, Magamba's newness creates excitement, enthusiasm 
and a real sense of purpose directed toward nation building. The entry 
requirements are inclusive and facilitate the accommodation of all who desire 
to be trained. Free uniforms and tuition are a definite positive aspect of the 
training centre. A strong sense of comradery is felt everywhere on campus. 
The physical plant seems to have adequate modern facilities and equipment, 
particularly in the areas of carpentry, weaving and sewing. There appears to 
be a conscious effort, dedication and trend toward self-sufficiency and selfreliance. 
Driefontein Mission 
In Zimbabwe, non-governmental organisations, both domestic and foreign, 
have made significant contributions to community development through the 
years, both in areas of projects and training. Traditionally, Christian missions 
have always believed strongly that their calling was one of service to the whole 
person and that Christianity also leads to western civilisation. Consequently, 
missionary organisations have been involved in education, health, 
agriculture, social work and vocational training. 
For decades, Driefontein Mission, situated in the Masvingo province in the 
south-eastern part of the country, has diligently served the nation, particularly 
in the area of vocational training for rural youth. The mission has as one of its 
aims that of providing vocational skills training that equips the rural youth to 
find profitable self-employment in their community.
42 Daniel P Kasambira 
In order for the author to obtain first hand and accurate information, 
knowledge and experience, a visit was made to Driefontein mission. During 
the visit, an extensive interview took place with the resident programme 
Director. Other interviews where subsequently held with all the instructors 
and several students. In the interviews, it was quite clear that the general 
thrust of the Mission's training programme was the conviction that 
development is not possible until a pool of skills exists in rural areas. In 
addition, it was also believed that the long-term relief of poverty and 
unemployment could only be effected through self-reliance training. The 
programme is therefore designed to provide youth with an opportunity to earn 
a livelihood and to effect an immediate improvement in living conditions in 
rural areas. Hence the intensive training course in practical skills are at levels 
of expertise relevant to rural areas. The programme is designed for a rural 
setting and is run on a self-reliance basis. 
Programme 
This is a three year programme. Entry qualifications are at the secondary 
level. The core of the programme's offerings includes courses and areas of 
content that involve the following: Introduction to industry, technical 
drawing, vocational knowledge, arithmetic, workshop theory, elementary 
knowledge in bookkeeping, and Zimbabwe economics, including marketing 
and costing. General knowledge includes Zimbabwe society: Present and 
future, and socialist transformation and its implications. In the evenings, first 
aid lessons and human development are offered. Bible study is undertaken in 
an effort to enhance individual character. 
Specifically, knowledge and skills are obtained in areas such as metal work, 
focusing on scotch cart construction, welding, wheel barrow making and a 
variety of repair work likely to be needed in the community. Woodwork and 
carpentry activities include the making of coffins, furniture (usually modest 
and simple to suit the rural taste and purse), wooden and steel door and 
window frames, school and church benches, beds, cribs, brickforms, stools, 
ox-yokes and coffee tables. A new area of special interest is bee keeping. The 
Kenya-type bee hives are made for local use by bee keepers, with prospects of 
nationwide patronage and sales. Tailoring includes activities such as making 
simple children's clothes, school uniforms, dressmaking and mending of old 
clothes. Motor mechanics and other techical skills are being utilised in the 
imediate community and beyond. 
On request, a carpentry instructor portrayed the prospects of the Mission's 
graduates as follows: 
"Hypothetically, take carpentry for instance, as you already are aware, 
wood is cheap and plentiful around here; the articles to be made are in
Youth Stills Training 43 
great demand locally, one can be an established simple village carpenter 
in one of the growth points or shopping centres. The training here has 
included elementary business management and bookkeeping. 
Traditionally, the school has given some financial assistance and 
technical advice to help set up the graduate in business in the rural areas. 
Upon graduation, each graduate in carpentry is given a free reference 
book on carpentry, our graduates can keep bees, farm and grow 
vegetables. These activities can generate income to provide for the 
everyday basic need.'' 
When the author enquired by Driefontein seemed to be enjoying some 
considerable measure of success with the programme, one of the instructors 
had this to say: 
"We train our youth for a rural setting, simple but appropriate 
technology, using elemetary affordable tools easily obtainable in rural 
settings. Our graduates can survive, as long as they adhere to the 
Mission's emphasis on quality and good wholesome character. 
Driefontein thrives on its good name and reputation. Although there is 
no official government recognition of this Programme and no financial 
aid either, we continue to provide what we consider to be necessary 
vocational training that should produce opportunities for selfemployment 
and self-sufficiency, and we are well on our way to 
achieving that goal. The duration of the training here is longer than 
most training centres I know (3 years). We are non-elitist and manual 
labour intensive. In fact, our time is divided thus: 10 per cent 
instruction and 90 per cent practical training. Above all, we seem to be 
providing for our rural youth the kind of training and technology that 
suits their rural lifestyle, should they choose to do so and many of them 
do." 
The students that were interviewed expressed satisfaction with the type of 
training they were receiving, particularly those who were in their third and 
final year. Some indicated interest in joining co-operatives while others hoped 
to start businesses of their own. Still othres showed interest in finding jobs with 
Ministries or parastatals with services in the rural areas. 
Driefontein is community-based and is readily accessible to the people. This 
direct link provides education programmes and hospital facilities which help to 
improve the living standards of the masses and act as catalyst for community 
activities. In this context, the community becomes the. laboratory for the 
'hands-on' experiences for the trainees which is an integral component of their 
training. Driefontein is well established with a support network that includes 
the school, the farm and the hospital. It is for all practical purposes a selfsufficient 
enterprise.
44 Daniel PKasambira 
Driefontein has always been able to demonstrate to the public the general 
value of its existence and utility. It provides valuable services such as 
education, health, repairs of implements, technical advice to local farmers, 
bee keepers and carpenters. The well qualified, dedicated and experienced 
staff also takes part as consultants and experts in the work of community 
develoment, thereby gaining experiences and competencies which prove 
useful to them in training their students. In consultation with the staff, the 
community can make available or create employment opportunities for the 
graduates of the training centre. 
The rapport that exists between Driefontein and the community was said to be 
a good and wholesome one and is cherished by both parties. Driefontein's 
national reputation for excellence relative to previous achievements in areas 
other than that of youth training is a function of twenty-five years of 
experience and service to the nation. This commands respect and a sense of 
permanence and stability; a commodity not currently being fully experienced 
and enjoyed by its counterpart, the Magamba Training Centre. 
Comparison of the two programmes 
The basic assumption and key thrust in conceptualising a training programme 
for youth is predicated upon the fact that the curriculum developed responds 
to the needs of the immediate community and the nation. The objectives 
which meet the identified skill training needs should be reflected in that 
curriculum. By and large, the two training centres under discussion have met 
the criteria but are in varying stages of development. 
While the core of the programme offerings at the two centres show no wide 
disparity, some significant differences were observed and identified. The 
organisational and operational procedures were found to be somewhat 
diversified, ranging from the recruitment and admission of trainees at an 
unspecified level of general education at Magamba, to secondary level at 
Driefontein and requiring up to three years to complete the programme. The 
trade-off is in the keeping of youth off the job market for at least three years, 
giving the Government much needed breathing room for the purpose of 
creating new job opportunities. 
The content area of Driefontein training programme is broader, with 
competency based at a higher level and more rigorous than that of Magamba. 
Trainees receive an encyclopaedic type of training with the resultant effect of a 
better and more marketable set of skills for use in rural as well as urban areas. 
The training is oriented towards practical and immediate application in 
response to the needs expressed by the government, the various ministries and 
the local administrators of community projects. Much of it is applied directly:
Youth Skills Training 45 
for example, the construction and production of coffins, scotch carts, 
furniture, wheel barrows, bee hives, door and window frames, repair of 
machinery and the sewing of school uniforms. This approach clearly reflects 
the built-in entrepreneurial nature and motive inherent in the curriculum. 
One of the most original features is the school's financial assistance to help in 
settingup graduates in business by providing some 'seed money'. 
The majority of Driefontein's trainees were observed to be older, more 
mature, extremely motivated, goal oriented and displaying a seriousness of 
purpose. The autonomous nature and status of Driefontein affords it the 
flexibility to exercise its legitimate choice between alternatives and to be 
innovative. Therefore, its style of operation is not cramped by external 
interference and pressure. Both training centres have highly qualified staff 
commensurate with the level of substantive content emphasis. The staff is 
supported by appropriate technical equipment and apparatus. Although 
Driefontein has some foreign instructors involved in its programme, the 
content is clearly domestic and reflects local concerns. Overall, the ideal scope 
and the forms of skills training programmes seem to be captured in the nature 
and character of both training centres studied. 
Potential policy implications 
The policy of the Zimbabwe government is to devote the maximum available 
resources to the development of the rural areas. This suggests that these areas 
will be given priority in terms of manpower and other assets of growth. In 
general, as far as youth are concerned, the strategy is a fourfold one: (1) to 
increase the vocational emphasis of the schools; (2) to encourage those 
children who enter the school system to stay long enough to acquire literacy 
and a commercially usable skill; (3) to deformalise the educational processes 
and apparatus so that skills can be acquired and improved at any stage of life; 
(4) to seek a wage structure in the economy as a whole that is effective as an 
instrument for mobilising human resources and, at the same time, as 
consistent as possible with social, political and economic objectives. 
Most policy makers do not have the time to begin coaxing ideas out of 
people but are only too happy to accept any proposals that reflect serious 
competent thinking, analysis and appraisal in any given area of public 
concern. That being the case, those persons involved in training centre 
activities are obliged to collect salient data on community development in 
general and youth skills training in particular, or any other areas of concern. 
This data can be shared with the appropriate policy makers as guidelines to 
assist them in policy formulation and programme development. Given 
the increased emphasis on the community development theme, and the 
ensuing expectations that youth skills training centres, both government and
46 Daniel PKasambira 
non-government, will be instrumental in equipping youth with the necessary 
skills, a policy that entertains collaboration and coordination becomes crucial 
and valuable. 
The concept of 'collaboration and coordination' reflects a simple but 
profound observation, often overlooked, that Zimbabwe is, in fact, a diverse 
and complex nation, areas are different, people are different, the level of 
character of job opportunities are different. Consequently, it makes little sense 
to develop a programme biscuit cutter in a central office and then superimpose 
that particular design upon every region of the country without regard to area 
differences; differences that are frequently strengths rather than weaknesses. 
The key function of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, as a matter of 
policy, would be to diagnose the peculiar characteristics of each area; to look 
carefully at its population, its job market, its training and supporting 
networks; and to design programmes that will maximise movement away from 
youth employment. The 'doing one's own thing' approach negates the 
opportunity to discover gaps and overlaps that may exist in the area of youth 
training. It is fully recognised that infusing content in existing programmes is 
a valid approach to programme building and designing. Many nongovernment 
institutions could be revitalised and rejuvenated by the fusing of 
new ideas inherent in the new approaches in the context of the new political, 
economic and social realities. 
Youth skills training centres need to be collectively involved in the 
fundamental state of the art vis-a-vis vocational training. With a policy that 
embraces collaboration the government can benefit by taking advantage of the 
experience and flexible elements present in various non-government 
programmes. This is central to the Government's ability to deal with 
interregional events, problems and issues connected with training centres in 
order to achieve the roles of partners in development and progress. Having 
been in the business of skills training for some time, some non-government 
organisations have collected, simplified and synthesised information relative 
to the youth training that can supplement the government's development 
efforts. In addition, the record clearly indicates that, in post-independent 
Zimbabwe, external aid and sponsorship of projects has increased. Nongovernment 
institutions have been able to mobilise and generate foreign 
exchange for development projects. This has made and will continue to make 
a tremendous impact and contribution within the context of government's 
policy of promoting self-reliant communities. Collaboration, coordination and 
cooperation between public and private youth skills training centres enhances 
conformity and assures uniformity. None of the existing centres is adequate to 
meet the need independently. An integrated, collaborative, coordinated and 
cooperative approach and effort enhances a holistic and truly unified national 
pespective in youth skills training activities. This allows for the development
Ytndh Skills Training 47 
of a blue print equally appropriate to all institutions while recognising those 
differences that are unavoidable. Mutually supportive relationships' between 
the government and non-government centres, with each reckoning the value 
of their complementary roles and impact, can be an asset in promoting and 
augmenting the government's efforts at youth skills training and the reduction 
of youth unemployment in the nation. 
Conclusion 
It is an indisputable fact that Zimbabwe is one of the countries of Sub-Saharan 
Africa where youth unemployment and skills training problems are of the 
greatest and gravest concern. The government has partially rectified the 
problem by instituting rural youth skills training centres. Non-government 
organisations are also playing a very significant role in this endeavour. The 
national programme is small when compared with the nation's great need to 
train youth. Thus, the goal of the training programmes has been to test 
new approaches to training which, if successful, could point the way to new 
training techniques for schools across the country. These two examples show 
that, as far as the training of youth in Zimbabwe is concerned, the future can 
be viewed with some confidence. The present government, through its 
ministries, has grasped the fundamental importance of this problem and has 
not begrudged the necessary means for training youth, conducted in 
combination with private organisations. What of the future of rural skill 
training centres for youth? 
Leaps and take-offs are feats which are normal only for panthers, acrobats 
and aeroplanes. If demanded of a foreign exchange starved nation with a 
youthful population, and considering the state of the economy, such 
performances must call for programmes very different from thoses of the past 
or present day Zimbabwe. These are watershed days for Zimbabwe. Perhaps 
the most important function that the Youth Training Centres now serve is as 
greenhouses for new sensitivity and sensibility; places where young people are 
converted to the philosophy of self-reliance. In this sense, they serve as potent 
agents for social change, development and innovation. Broadening the youth 
skills training concept to include the remaining non-participating nongovernment 
and government schools nationwide, the youth training centres 
will further demonstrate their relevance and give notice that their contribution 
to the political, social and economic scene is not transitory but meant to be 
permanent and significant. It is this author's optimistic view, based on 
information and personal observation of Magamba and Driefontein, that the 
youth skills training centres will find in this moment of change, a significant 
opportunity to make an impact on the youth unemployment problem.
48DmidPKasmdam 
Reference* 
Todaro M P (1982) Economics for a Developing World. An 
Introduction to Principles, Problems and Politics for Development, (2 
nd ed), Longman Group, London. 
Brand V et al (1980) Zimbabwe Youth Services: Some Proposals, 
Occasional Paper, School of Social Work, Harare, Zimbabwe. 
Moto (1985) Number 38, September, Mambo Press, Gweru, Zimbabwe.