Business Unit Centre - Harare, Zimbabwe

Vision

To be a leader in the provision of unique training/coaching to every Zimbabwean or non- Zimbabwean Youth/ Trainee or student.

Mission

To provide relevant practical training and empowerment programmes centered on unlocking employment opportunities & entrepreneurial achievement to every young people.

Background

Business Unit Centre was founded solely on the bases of being a unique empowerment support Centre that provides practical and professional training to every aspiring young trainee or entrepreneur. Our quest is the shaping of a generation of youths marginalized or effluent to harness their potential, creating their own dreams, brooding on the dreams, living the dreams and realizing their dreams.
The education system has been structured to recognize students  

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with five “O” levels where Mathematics & English are a prerequisite. This has seen a number of youths been rejected by the employment system besides the marginalized bear the most pain of an outcast, rejected and dejected by not only the education system nor employment system but by the most unexpected, the social system. It is against this background that Business Unit Centre has crafted a curriculum that offers flexibility in order to encompass the less privileged but the more willing to achieve.

Besides, education system has been producing graduates as products ready for employment not for creating employment. Each academic year ends and the combined examination halls churn out thousands of supple, hopeful youths on the streets. The gateways of the education system are now opening into the streets, channelling a number of youths back to society than into the economic system. An insignificant percentage proceeds to either advanced level, tertiary institutions where the bigger chunk drop up due to financial challenges.

It is sad to note that the majority youths walk the streets knowing fully well that the employment sector has virtually no prospects to offer. The society is teeming with hundreds of unemployed but employable,unemployed and considered unemployable by both the employment and economic system. The question is ‘who is going to remember the one unemployed and unemployable?’ Is it not time that something concrete be done to bail out these prisoners of the economic cage so that they can stand on their own feet”. Certainly the youths/ school leavers have attained basic literacy: the onus is upon all stakeholders to mount a concerted war against joblessness.

The idea of vocational training centres is vital but the aspect need to be intergrated into school curriculum. The academic aspect need to be blended with practical skills which would immensely shore up the youths or vast school leavers. Hence the move by Business Unit Centre to introduce a training in Merchandising and Till operation which is a unique short programme rated by the centre as an immediate life changing tool for most youths from all walks on life. The programme embrace both academic and practical training to every youth interested in making a difference in their life. Due to a number of synergies and strategic links the Centre has with most organisations where the skills are applicable, this has made it easier for most youths to secure employment.

More employees have been produced for less employers, employers are not being created to create employment for employees. Youths need to be trained to create employment for themselves and others.
Mathematics & English ,Aid awareness programmes,social clean up compaigns, debates youths have done, it now knowledge to them but less has been done to empower them to create their own income or creating a chance for them to participate in the main stream economy. Business Unit Centre is a centre for equiping youths with requisite skills to enable them to earn income as well as empowering them to create income for themselves and the society at large.

With a well-managed resource base in the rural and urban communities, funding could be provided for local youths to initiate self-help income generating projects. There is a growing misconception that projects like poutry,small scale dairy, brick-moulding, carpentry or hair dressing are bound to fail, but the reality is that they only collapse due to a combination of financial mismanagement and lack of active support from the community. What is urgently needed is some form of community solidarity to set the tone for serious-minded business youths. Our support as a Centre and member of a community is in the assisting of youths with entrepreneurship skills vital for them to competently manage their projects besides shaping them to be proficient business people who will contribute to main stream economy.
The centre has managed to equip hundreds of youths with practical & professional training skills enabling them to be absorbed by a number of organisations around the country even outside Zimbabwe.

Youths Programmes At the Centre

Certificate in Merchandising & Till Operation Training
Modules
• Basic Till Operation(theory & practical) Training
• Computerised Till Operation(theory & practical) Training
• Merchandising Training
• Customer Care Training

Training in Entrepreneurship Development
Modules
• Basic Entreprenuership Skills
• Business idea development
• Business Management Skills
• Financial Management Skills
• Marketing Management Skills
• Risk Management Skills
• Time Management Skills

Youth Training in Vocational Skills
Modules
• Catering Skills Training
• Bakery Skills Training
• Beauty & Therapy skills Training
• Motor Mechanic Skills
• Hair Dressing Skills
• Carpentry Skills
• Building Skills
• Welding etc

Youth Training in Computer Skills
Modules
• Ms Word
• Ms Access
• Ms Excel
• Ms PowerPoint
• Internet Skills
• Graphic & Design
• Pastel Accounting

Youth Tuition in Academic & Professional Programmes
• “O” & “A” Level Tuition All subjects
• Professional Tuition: ACCA,CIS,SAAA,IAC,HEXCO,UNISA,LCCI,IMM,THESIS,DESETATION etc

Strategic Partnership

Business Unit Centre would like to commend the growing relationship and synergies that has been built over the few years with other youth organisations, a relationship underpinned by our common values of professionalism, common desire to fight poverty & unemployment among the youths, fountain of inspiration to aspiring youths, our endevour to upbring & shape the generation of youths to gain economic freedom as well as being economically valuable to the nation.

We would like to notify our partnership organisations that the trainings conducted over the years to a number of youths on Certificate in Merchandising & Till Operation Skills, Entrepreneurship development Skills, Vocational Training Skills, Computer Skills, Academic & Professional programmes are a major success. We have witnessed a number of youths that your respective organizations did financially sponsor not only changing their lives but advancing in life. It is sweet to not that a group considered unemployable has been employed. Those who were once surviving are now living. Indeed your financial assistance is shaping a generation of youths the whole society is proud of. Our special gratitude being to the Ministry of Youth & Empowerment, SOS Children’s Village, Youth for Today & Tomorrow, Thuthuka Training Centre and other affiliate Youth organisations.

Attachment & Employment opportunities

The Centre has established strategic networks with a number of companies: supermarkets, retailers, restaurants, clothing shops, manufacturing organisations to secure attachments to virtually all students trained aiming at arming our youths with real practical skills as well as real exposure to the real world of work in the their chosen career path.
Our close linkages with majority of big organisations has afforded our trainees not only attachments but also employment opportunities the past years a move in line with our main values which marks our main purpose of existence.

Corporate Citizenship/Social Duty

The Centre like any organisation for profit making or charity causes need funding to be financially sustained, but our experience working with youths for a couple of years has helped us understand the deeper & nasty experiences youths are going through. We have seen the experiences, have once gone through the experiences and have knowledge of the experiences. As a Training & Support Centre we shared the experiences of especially the marginalized and less privileged, a policy to offer free training to 10-15 youths has been put in place. Besides, the Centre has place a fee structure which is below a competitive market fee in order to make training affordable to every youth.