13 May, 2022, Harare- JA Zimbabwe officially launched a new partnership with Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) last week at Prince Edward School. The partnership, which falls under the Entrepreneurship & Work-readiness pillars, will empower over 4,000 high school students in Zimbabwe. The project seeks to build project management skills by integrating project management into the JA Company Program and a minimum of 100 student-led businesses are to be formally registered.
Through this collaboration with PMIEF participants will gain insight into what is required to establish and manage a small business. This includes practical experience in small business activities and application of project management components. The students are to demonstrate understanding of business and identify business opportunities. They are also to organize resources to deliver a quality product, sell, save, and reinvesting in their enterprises.
Commenting on the launch of Elevating Project Management in the Youths’ Ecosystem attended by several schools across Zimbabwe, JA Zimbabwe Executive Director Allen Chinhanhu, said that youths need to adjust to the new world order in terms of being digital savvy, innovative and not only look into traditional ways of doing things. “We want youths that think in other terms, youths that develop new ideas that match and move on in times with the world that we are living in so as to achieve our vision 2030,” Chinhanhu said.
The Guest of Honor at the Launch Memory Gwena, President of the Zimbabwe Chapter, emphasized the need for youths to be innovative and resilient towards achieving the vision 2030 goal in terms of economic development. “From a social aspect, youths have to be included in all spheres of development. If they are to be left behind, they will indulge in anything, for instance, drug abuse among other social ills.
“Youths have to be kept occupied. With these initiatives, we train and offer them project management skills. The world is changing drastically. Youths of today are the leaders of today and tomorrow. They have to be well equipped and guided towards achieving vision 2030.”
The Child President of Zimbabwe, Hazel Mandaza also urged youths to willingly work tirelessly in order to transform the economy of the country.
“As youths of today, when we have been granted such an opportunity, we should embrace and utilize it very well since the world we are living in now presents quite a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurship. It is our responsibility to develop our economy,” she said.
About JA Zimbabwe
JA Zimbabwe is an organization with a mission to economically empower Zimbabwe’s youth by bridging the gap between classroom education and the world of work. JA programs focus on the core content areas of financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship and provide experiential learning opportunities for young people to prepare for their professional lives in the 21st century. More than 700,000 young people, both in-school and out-of-school, rural and urban took part in JA programs in Zimbabwe since 1999.
About Project Management Institute Educational Foundational
The PMI Educational Foundation:
PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) is a 501(c)(3) supporting organization of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading not-for-profit professional membership association for those who consider project, program, or portfolio management as their profession. Founded in 1990, PMIEF cultivates long-term relationships with nonprofits across the globe to help them integrate project management in their youth programs and to build their own project management capacity. The foundation achieves its mission to “enable youth to realize their potential and transform lives through project management” and its vision for “inspiring youth to achieve their goals, making dreams a reality” by investing in high-quality organizations that exemplify a commitment to preparing young people for 21st century success and an appreciation for both the societal application and value of project management.
Visit https://www.pmi.org/pmi-educational-foundation for more information.