“My career development started as a dream: I have always been passionate about knowing how automobile equipment operates and decided to start my journey as a ‘mechanics guy’,” says Danford Matale, maintenance planner at First Quantum Minerals in Kalumbila, Zambia. His interest in automobile machinery and its functionality have fueled his determination to pursue a career in heavy equipment engineering.

Matale started his journey in the field as a trainee at the Zambian Industrial Training Academy (ZAMITA). ZAMITA is a training programme funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the Northern Technical College (NORTEC) in Ndola. By focusing on training students to operate and maintain heavy machinery, ZAMITA has provided relevant industrial skills development training to young Zambians and has helped them meet the job market needs.

Zambia has one of the youngest populations in Africa, with youth representing 36.7% of the total. Unemployment is one of the most pressing challenges for Zambian youth. In line with the priority areas set in the Programme for Country Partnership Zambia, ZAMITA aims to enhance the transport and heavy equipment sector by developing a skilled workforce. Established in 2016, ZAMITA currently has more than six hundred students, with a 13% jump in female enrollment since its inception (1% to 14%).

“The ZAMITA experience has been of great advantage to most of us, as we created a wide industrial relationship among ourselves, NORTEC, and most of the industries that we had visited for tours and sites,” recalls Matale.

He is confident that the programme prepared him for the industry by helping him acquire the necessary skills and getting him familiar with advanced equipment.

Today Matale considers himself a competent specialist and is currently working for First Quantum Minerals at the Kalumbila mine. His four years of work experience and his training with ZAMITA provided him with the necessary skills and competencies required by the job market, allowing him to tackle any challenges encountered in his work.

“The most rewarding part of my job is that it gives me confidence to show my competence, which is an excellent reward thanks to the skills and knowledge I acquired with ZAMITA,” summarizes Matale.

Project name: Zambian Industrial Training Academy