The informal apprenticeship miracle: a case for Mbare-Magaba informal industry, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The economic turbulences faced by Zimbabwe in the first decade of the 21st century culminated in almost total demise of the formal industry. Concomitantly, this resulted in the emergence and proliferation of the informal industry as an alternative solution. This study explored the training strategies and approaches employed in the informal manufacturing industry. The study adopted the qualitative research paradigm to collect, present and analyse data. Findings from the study point to the efficacy of the informal apprenticeship in terms of human capital development and hence this skills training approach becomes the main trajectory to economic recovery for Zimbabwe.

Keywords: Traditional apprenticeship, pedagogical approaches, informal industry