Nedbank Zimbabwe renewed its commitment towards the education of talented tertiary level students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Actuarial Science) countrywide. Nedbank has played a pivotal role in creating STEM pathways for learners to pursue their studies and choose careers in STEM to shape tomorrow’s workforce and ultimately change the country and the world. Nedbank embarked on the selection of a new group of applicants for the 2022 intake and thousands of youths applied for the bursary, which fully covers the educational needs of all successful candidates. At present, 37 students are beneficiaries of the Nedbank Education Fund.

Nedbank Zimbabwe was the platinum sponsor for Africa Science Week. The event provided a platform for discussion and information for high school children who aspire to pursue their studies/careers in STEM. The conference objectives were to promote the uptake of STEM subjects, to bridge the gap between education and industry through STEM experiences for educators and students, to provide mentorship for students in STEM through interactive discussions with STEM experts, and to create a networking platform between the mentors (STEM experts) and mentees (Nedbank STEM beneficiaries and other students in STEM).

Nedbank Zimbabwe recruited another group of youths for the 2022 Nedbank Youth Accelerator Programme. The Youth Accelerator Programme, which was launched in 2021, is a fixed-term programme aimed at empowering young unemployed graduates with the necessary work emersion skills to gain much-needed work experience to be gainfully employed in the future. This year, Nedbank recruited 40 unemployed graduates under the age of 25 from across the country, including remote areas where Nedbank is not physically represented. The young people will be exposed to various divisions within the organisation while earning a monthly allowance/stipend during a fixed-term contract.

Nedbank Zimbabwe launched an innovation hub in 2021. The tech hub is located in the Emganwini Township, not far from Bulawayo’s city centre. The hub was launched to advance the technology education, coding and various technology skills and workforce development for children in primary and secondary schools in that area. Children from schools near the Innovation Hub have benefited from attending the coding programme and Nedbank visited the hub during the Global Money Week to present nuggets and tutorials on financial literacy.