Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati said economic transformation and job creation demands for a competent workforce that optimises dividends in priority sectors in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Brilliant Habeenzu during the Skills Conference organised by the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) and TEVETA, the Mr. Mutati said solutions to challenges facing the country required sustained collaboration between the public and private sector for the country to thrive. He said the Skills Conference objective underscored the critical role skills development played in the growth and sustainability of the manufacturing sector and broader national economy. “The Government is committed to developing a skilled workforce for economic development and job creation is steadfast.”

Mr. Mutati said kills development was a vital cornerstone for innovation, productivity, and competitiveness in the manufacturing sector. He added that developing relevant skills for the country, especially for the youth, was investing in the future of Zambia’s economic sectors.

“The New Dawn Government has prioritized education and skills development across all sectors to ensure Zambians take full control of socioeconomic pathways. Recent commissioning of Sesheke Trades Training Institute and planned commissioning of Lundazi and Mporokoso Trades Training Institutes demonstrate our commitment to expanding access to technical and vocational education and training for socioeconomic development,” he said.

The Minister noted that challenges faced by the manufacturing sector like high shipping costs and dependency on imported raw materials required strong collaboration between the Government and the private sector to address them.  “The Zambia Association of Manufacturers is instrumental in advocating for policies that create an enabling environment for business growth and development of critical skills for the sector. Building a resilient and competitive manufacturing sector for increased contribution to the country’s job creation and gross domestic product is priority to the Government.”

And TEVETA Director General, Cleophas Takaiza said TEVET was about jobs and practical application on the job hence required students to be accorded spaces in industry to acquire practical competences for the job market.  Mr. Takaiza said TEVETA was engaging ZAM members from different sub-sectors to establish a Sector Advisory Group (SAG) for the manufacturing sector.

“We believe through the SAG we will have platform for dialogue on matters concerning the skills needs of the manufacturing sector and collaborate in initiatives to address the identified gaps with industry taking up active roles in curriculum development, quality assurance and assessments.”

He said Zambia’s strategic vision to increase the manufacturing sector output to 15% by 2026 and 25% by 2031 required appropriate skills to accelerate productivity and competitiveness at small, medium, and large-scale manufacturing levels.  “Although we have these ambitions, the success of our manufacturing sector will be dependent on the availability of a skilled workforce that responds to the evolving demands of modern manufacturing processes. Therefore, profiling current and future skills and prioritising those skills to achieve national vision for the manufacturing sector is an activity that cannot be done by training providers on their own.”

Mr. Takaiza said TEVETA was committed to addressing skills gaps through establishing partnerships with industry. “Our engagements with ZAM starting last year culminated into identification of skills gaps in Tool making and partnering an institution called the Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA) to develop a curriculum in Tool, Die and Mould. We are told this is one of the skills that our manufacturers signal to be a vital enabler to the sector’s productivity and efficiency.”

He said the TDM curriculum had been developed with the help of PtSA curriculum experts. “The implementation of this curriculum will require long term industry-training institutions partnerships in many areas including apprenticeships, assessments, and certification. I applaud ZAM for organizing this conference and providing a platform for critical skills development deliberations. Let us continue leveraging our strengths and resources to create a skilled, innovative, and resilient workforce. We believe our stakeholder’s insights and feedback to skills development is critical for us to navigate challenges and establish a quality TEVET system.”

Meanwhile ZAM CEO, Muntanga Lindunda said manufacturing was a source of economic stability and job creation through various value chains that required an adequately prepared workforce to drive economic viability in the sector. “The Skills Conference is seeking to build systems that develop relevant skills for productivity in line with the 8NDP and Vision 2030. Today's discussions on skills are aimed at connecting goals in address skills and work to propel Zambia forward. We have to elevate our country by developing relevant skills we need to drive our economic sectors."

The Skills Conference was held under the theme: Enhancing Industry-Trainer Collaboration for Sustained Economic Growth”. The conference was organised by ZAM and TEVETA.