A partnership between Midlands State University (MSU) and Bata Shoe Company is creating jobs and giving students hands-on industrial experience, showing how the Education 5.0 model can connect tertiary education with commercial production.

The MSU enterprise employs more than 200 people and produces approximately 1,800 shoe uppers daily for Bata, while giving students exposure to industrial stitching and footwear production.

This initiative is part of an effort by Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions to move beyond traditional academic training towards innovation, industrialization, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.

For decades, Zimbabwe’s tertiary sector has primarily prepared graduates for a formal job market that has struggled to absorb them, contributing to high levels of graduate unemployment.

At MSU, students gain practical experience in commercial manufacturing through the university’s business enterprises unit, which exposes them to industrial stitching and footwear production. The initiative equips students with skills they can apply in formal employment and when establishing their own businesses.

One student remarked that this exposure helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry demands, stating, “These opportunities give us practical experience, preparing us for employment and encouraging us to create our enterprises.”

Another student noted that operating commercial production lines connected academic theory with real-world requirements, saying, “Moving from textbooks to operating commercial stitching lines bridges classroom theory with industry demands.”

Additionally, another student expressed that this model demonstrates young people’s potential to contribute to industrial development, stating, “This model proves that young people can drive national industrialization by creating value right here on campus.”

MSU Enterprise Executive Director Patience Mangwiro emphasized that the partnership shows how universities can transform innovation into commercially viable enterprises. “We are innovating and industrializing those innovations. We have the Bata ABU, a public-private partnership, where we focus on the upstream process,” she explained.

“It is a testament that we are not just learning but also creating employment. We have around 200 employees under this enterprise, and through this partnership, we produce approximately 1,800 shoe uppers daily while providing opportunities for skills development and employment,” added Mangwiro.

The model combines the technical skills developed within the university system with the private sector’s commercial expertise and supply chain networks. Bata Shoe Company Managing Director Simon Mutisya noted that the company has outsourced some services to MSU to enhance skills development and prepare young people for industry.

“We recently outsourced some services to MSU to promote training, develop skills, and prepare young people for industry. The focus is on empowering communities,” he said.

The MSU-Bata partnership is part of a broader initiative to transform tertiary institutions into centers of innovation, production, and enterprise development, aligning with the country’s Vision 2030 aspirations. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has stated that the government will continue to pursue initiatives that promote skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation, and employment creation for young people.

“Initiatives that ensure skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation, and employment creation will be pursued for our young people in both rural and urban areas. The focus will remain on improving the quality of life and service delivery for all communities. No one will be left behind,” he said.

As Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to enhance domestic production and reduce reliance on imports, the MSU-Bata partnership exemplifies how tertiary institutions can bolster the national economy through skills development, manufacturing, and job creation. This model also serves as an example of how university-industry partnerships can connect academic training with commercial production and industrialization.