Local education institution, Redeemed Group of Schools has set its sights on incorporating entrepreneurship and innovation in its learners following the successful launch of a group entrepreneurship and innovation hub last Friday at Harare Girls High School in the capital.
The group, which is a subsidiary of Golden Knot Holdings, incorporates Millerite International Junior and High schools, Sageways Junior and Sageways High schools, Oceanwaves Junior and Oceanwaves High and Eastwise Junior and Eastwise High schools in Harare as well as Hauna Christian College Junior and High School in Manicaland province.
Speaking at the event, Golden Knot Holdings CEO Peace Pundu said the launch of the entrepreneurship and innovation hub was central in introducing a practical approach to learning among students particularly at a time industry dynamics are shifting globally.
“We are introducing a practical approach to learning and enterprise through the launch of the Redeemed Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub and we are happy that our parents and corporate partners have come in their numbers to support this tailored approach to modern day learning,” Pundu said.
“We want our students to be entrepreneurs and our goal is to make sure that the moment your child steps into Redeemed Group of Schools, they will be trained to become entrepreneurs.
“Beyond whatever career path they choose, students should leave our schools equipped with other life skills to become motor mechanics, bricklayers, electricians, beauticians and electricians among other relevant skills.”
Pundu said beyond other skills to be introduced through the innovation hubs, they will be making agriculture a compulsory module for all students starting this year.
“We want to use this innovation hub undertaking to identify, nurture, grow, expose and grow our student talents,” she said.
- Local school launches innovation hub
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“By the time someone chooses a career, it should be out of choice after being exposed to so many skills
“In addition to entrepreneurship, we are also making sure that agriculture is going to be compulsory for all learners from ECD to Form 4.
“Our students should know how to grow food so that they are fully equipped for the world out there. We are embracing wholesome learning as a group.”
Pundu’s sentiments were echoed by the group's chief operating officer Providence Mugayi.
“We are a serial entrepreneurial business with interests in finance, education, hospitality, medical aid, insurance, energy and construction among others,” Mugayi said.
“We are happy to be playing our part in empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs through important life skills under the Redeemed Group of Schools banner.
“We are going all out in our quest to equip students with the right life skills and we are proud of the strides we are making as seen by some of the exhibitions from our students today.
“The possibilities are endless and the launch of this innovation hub adds to our ongoing efforts in that regard.”
The innovation hub coordinator Linet Mabulala spoke on the importance of the innovation in launching self-sustenance.
“The launch of the Redeemed Group of Schools Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub launch is aimed at promoting self-sustenance through life skills in our students,” she said.
“We want to combating limited employment opportunities born out of the state of the economy through promoting entrepreneurship and innovation.
“We are grooming employers through the life skills training in the innovation hub so that we avoid raising learned drug abusers and learned criminals.
“We are doing away with producing learners who lack life skills so that we deal with the big gap in the education system.
“We have ten schools in Zimbabwe, eight being from high schools and four junior school in Harare as well as two in Hauna, Honde Valley Manicaland and we want them to benefit from this.”
Other guest speakers included entrepreneur and people development proponent Jerrymore Nyazungu of M & J Consulting as well as Harare Institute of Technology lecturer Edmund Shingirai Maputi who spoke on entrepreneurship as well as innovation, entrepreneurship and education in other countries respectively.
Nyazungu, widely known as The Chartered Vendor, in business circles shared about the practical lessons, he learnt from his personal experiences starting off as a vendor to become a respected entrepreneur with presence in Zimbabwe, Zambia and soon South Africa.
“We must be practical in our approach to entrepreneurship so that we raise a generation of leaders who are able to make a difference through unparalleled innovation and pursuit of purpose in life,” he said.
Maputi bemoaned the imperial bequeathment of our local education saying the launch of an innovation hub by Redeemed Group of Schools was welcome, especially given the rate at which the unemployment rate is rising not only in Zimbabwe but globally.
“It’s not enough to educate our children, but we must make sure they know what to do with that knowledge when they get it,” he said.
“Education is the vehicle that helps you get where you want to go, but more importantly is must equip you with the requisite skills to compete in the world of work while innovating to create employment out of those skills.”
