Labour ministry increases career guidance programmes

The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has intensified its career guidance programmes in schools in the province, giving pupils an opportunity to interact with professionals in various fields so that they may get an insight into the labour market.

Last week, Zimuto High School Advanced Level pupils were given an opportunity to meet professionals in the medical fraternity of Zimbabwe.

They embarked on a tour at Masvingo provincial general hospital where they took time to meet with different departments at the hospital.

The pupils were advised on the requirements of getting into the medical fraternity.

Various departments like the outpatient, radiology, dental and pharmacy were available to give professional advice to the students.

“We found out that classroom experience at schools is not adequate to shape career choices so we saw it necessary to organise an interaction between students and professionals for requisite guidance,” said the leader of the ministry’s Labour Section, Brian Hwachi.

He said career guidance helps pupils assess whether they would like or dislike the various professions available, thus lessening the possibility of bad career choices.

“We took Zimuto High School to our provincial hospital so that they may get an insight of what is required for them to enter into the medical fraternity of this country,” Hwachi said.

The students also interacted with dentists, with some of them being given free dental examinations and recommendations on how to keep healthy teeth.

The dentists said there is a shortage of specialists in the field and urged those interested to study hard while the pharmaceutical department demonstrated how medication is stored and handled.

Pharmacist Comfort Gwara took the pupils through the pharmacy and the Opportunistic Infection Unit where anti-retroviral treatment medication is given.

The hospital’s Public Relations Officer Ruth Zulu said the hospital was improving its services and called on patients and members of the public to come forward with any suggestions they may have.news