The Sunday Mail
By Ruvimbo Muskwe & Tinotenda Kane Harare Polytechnic Students —
In this day and age when it is hard to finish school, graduate and get a job, students are challenged to possess entrepreneurial skills.
The burden of expectation from government and industry, borne out of the high rate of graduate unemployment, coupled with increasing calls for tertiary institutions to produce manpower which can resuscitate the economy, has put greater responsibility on training institutions to produce job creators and not job seekers.
In line with this new thrust institutions of Higher learning are putting more emphasis on Competence-based Learning (CBL). CBL refers to systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating that they have acquired knowledge and skills needed by industry. Also students are required to go on field trips to gain practical skills in their areas of study.
Harare Polytechnic has embraced this thrust. The Principal Engineer T. Mudondo says field based learning is important in the student’s lifecycle.
“Humans beings learn by doing and seeing. Students will have the opportunity to interact with prospective employers and also to appreciate what happens in the field of work,” said Engineer Mudondo.
CBL is part of HEXCO’s standing rules and regulations that emphasise 60% practical learning. Engineer Mudondo said the institution is however facing transport challenges which hamper the successful implementation of CBL. Notwithstanding the challenges the institution has been able to send students on field practicals. Last term students from the Mass communication department visited the Birchenough Bridge, Chisumbanje Green fuel Ethanol plant and Nyanyadzi Irrigation scheme to familiarise with operations.
The students spoke to local communities allowing them an opportunity to put their news gathering, interviewing and reporting skills into practice.“This was a great experience,” said Takudzwa Mupfumira a National Certificate student in the department.
“I learnt first-hand the challenges of interviewing a news source and how the Birchenough Bridge was constructed.” Tourism and Hospitality Head of department Mr Hlulani Halimani said the department’s participation at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) gave students an opportunity to interact with players in the tourism and hospitality industry.Mr Lovemore Gomera, the Lecturer-in-charge in the Printing and Graphic Art department said competence based learning is important because it helps students acquire relevant skills.
“The Ministry adopted the concept of field based learning in order to bridge the technology gap between the learning environment and industry,” he said. Other students that have gone on field trips are those from the Construction Engineering Department. The students are currently involved in a project to rehabilitate staff quarters a Madziwa Teacher’s Colleges. Mr David Ranjisi a lecturer from the construction department who is supervising the students said they are getting critical skills in brick layering, flooring, plumbing and plastering.
The team of 24 students comprises 2 females and 22 males.“The students have managed to partition 60 toilets and bathrooms and install 150 doors and doorframes. “It is encouraging to see female students being part of a project of such magnitude and working hand-in-hand with men in a field that has been perceived as fit for males only by our society,” he said.
The project was proposed by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Jonathan Moyo and assigned to the construction department at Harare Polytechnic. Some of the students involved in the rehabilitation project are from the Electrical Power Engineering department.To date, the students have installed street lights and connected a transformer.
Alice Rakama NC student from the Electrical Power Engineering department said: “I appreciate being part of this project because I now know how to connect a transformer. It has helped me to work with high voltage electricity.”
Kayomb Kapend Elie a student from the Democratic Republic of Congo studying at Harare Polytechnic said competence based learning was important.“Some students are slow learners in class but when they go out into the field they are better able to understand concepts,” said Elie.
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