WITH six distinctions and two credits from the Information Technology class, 22-year-old Laura Ruvarashe Mukwauri was among the 3 690 graduates who sang ‘Ebenezer’ after completing their studies at Bulawayo Polytechnic College.
For Mukwauri, a student with a disability who defied the odds, the graduation ceremony was a moment of deep reflection. Having started as a part-time student, she went on to scoop the Principal’s Award and has since enrolled for a Diploma in Information Technology.
“I started as a part-time student. It is a special day, after graduating, it has not been easy, but I want to thank my classmates, lecturers, and more importantly, my assistant,” Mukwauri said.
Mukwauri was also joined by 69-year-old Siphiwe Ndebele, who proved that age is just a number after graduating with a certificate in garment construction.
“This is an indicator that age is just a number. I had to enrol for this course not to look for employment, but to use the skill for my firm and possibly pass on the knowledge to my grandchildren,” Ndebele stated.
The Bulawayo Polytechnic College has made synergies with sister education institutions locally and regionally, which has seen it expand into Binga and Plumtree territories.
“As Bulawayo Polytechnic, we stand tall after sealing partnerships to grow the institution as a mentor for other institutions. We have expanded into Binga and Plumtree. We want graduates to go out there and help transform the economy through the application of problem-solving skills,” the institution’s Principal, Chiedza Masanganise said.
The government is spearheading the integrated skills outreach and entrepreneurship programme, targeting to explore technical skills in each village.
In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Honourable Simelisizwe Sibanda, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Ambassador Frederick Shava said the government will continue to push to reconfigure the education system for a shift from theoretical learning to practically relevant, innovation driven and the economically empowering Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model.
“President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared 2025 as the year of commercialisation. To expedite this, we are aligning our curriculum with production-oriented outcomes such as AI. My ministry made it clear that education must lead to production of goods and services programmes such as integrated skills, outreach and entrepreneurship programmes. We must ensure that graduates apply their skills to solve community challenges.”
The graduation ceremony also saw service vehicles being commissioned at the institution.
