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(HERALD) Zim urged to establish human capital database

Zim urged to establish human capital database
Business Reporter

ZIMBABWE should consider establishing a human capital development data system as an initial step to minimise brain drain, the World Council of Civil Engineers has said.

WCCE vice president Engineer Martin Manuhwa said that this mechanism will help the country keep stock of its human skills mainly in the areas of technology and information and communication technology, which have been hardest hit by the skills loss.

"Zimbabwe must create a human capital development data system that enables policymakers to look comprehensively at the stock and flow of human capital, which has become essential for effective policymaking and planning in the globalised knowledge-economy.

"There is need for a formal Diaspora Human Capital Database and repatriation of the knowledge base (via the Internet), or at least to show their physical presence through the creation of Diaspora networks," he said.

Eng Manuhwa, who is the immediate past president of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers, also called upon the organisation to play a facilitator role by creating a consolidated design of the Human Capital Development Framework and Strategy for the country.

The brain drain scourge has affected mostly the technology-based industries such as those in engineering, software development and most ICT sectors.

To this extent, Zimbabwe has remained largely a resource-based economy as opposed to being a knowledge-based one.

Eng Manuhwa contends that the country should increase technology and ICT skills training in respect to its human capital base, which is arguably one of Zimbabwe’s critical economic comparative advantages.

"Zimbabwe must devote the necessary resources to scientific and technological research and development to induce innovation among our people and ensure that we introduce new developments into our productive activities.

"Zimbabwe’s participation in the emerging networked global environment is in danger if we do not create the digital citizens and knowledge workers to compete in cyberspace," he said.

Economists generally surmise that wealth creation in the context of a global economy is augmented by human capital development, which is achieved by training a considerable population in areas necessary for the management of modern economies.
"We need to develop a balanced economy, but we must also identify and develop the lead sectors (nano-technology, biotechnology beneficiation of our agrarian raw produce) that will help us further expand the base for creation of wealth.

"This gives us the possibility to compete successfully within the dynamic world economy," said Eng Manuhwa. This, he said, also means a developing country such as Zimbabwe should revolutionise the way Government operates by, for instance, introducing e-governance.

The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Mr Nelson Chamisa, recently indicated that the Government had finalised the e-government framework (Zimconnect), which will expedite the development of the country’s first e-government platform that is expected to be completed by 2014.

Labels: LABOUR, MARTIN MANUHWA

posted by MrK @ 1:03 PM