The available data show that the training from the Zimba Centre for Rural and Youth Development has a positive impact on many of the youths who go through the training, especially in terms of employment. An analysis of the employment status of students who graduated from the Centre between 2005 and 2011 shows that one hundred and forty three (143) students completed their courses during that period. Among those who graduated from the Centre, forty five percent (45%) were either self- employed or were in the formal employment sector (See table 4). The employment status of 55 per cent of former students was unknown due to lack of records. The percentage of those in employment could be higher than is currently the case if the status of the 55 percent referred to above were known. The available information does not show the number of those who were unemployed. This was found to be a major gap in the data.

Table 4(a): Employment Status of ZCRYD Students after Graduating: 2005 – 2011

Source: Field data

Among those who were in some kind of employment, twenty eight percent (28%) were self-employed while seventeen percent (17%)   were in formal employment. There were, therefore, more youths in self-employment than those in formal employment. Tables 4(a) and 4(b) also show that the highest number of those in self-employment (60%) were from the Cutting and Tailoring course while Carpentry and Bricklaying had 20 per cent each. This was probably due to the fact that Tailoring had a much higher number of graduating students (57%) than Bricklaying (23%) and Carpentry (20%) combined together (see Table 4 (a).

Table 4(b): Total Number of Centre Graduates Employed

Source: Field data

Bricklaying and Plastering had slightly more students (40%) in the formal sector employment than Tailoring (32%) and Carpentry (28%).