When 74 aspiring heavy equipment operators walked through the gates of Kitwe Vocational Training Centre (KVTC) in March 2025, few imagined how quickly they would transition from learners to industry-ready professionals. Today, 70 of them, including 19 women, stand proudly as graduates, ready to operate excavators, front-end loaders, and dump trucks across Zambia’s growing mining and construction sectors. 

This achievement is more than a successful training cycle. It reflects the power of targeted capacity-building for instructors, strategic partnerships with the private sector, and a shared vision for a more inclusive and skilled workforce in Zambia. 

In February 2025, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)’s Project for Promoting Youth Employment Through Construction Equipment Operating Skills Training, in collaboration with Hitachi Construction Machinery Japan, launched a five-day Training of Trainers (TOT) program at KVTC, conducted by Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM)’s Expert Trainer, Mr. Kenshin Ito. The program capacitated six local instructors in the operation and maintenance of the ZX200-5G Hydraulic Excavator, ZW180-5A Wheel Loader, and essential Dump Truck operations. Special focus was placed on operational safety, hands-on practice, and preventative maintenance. 

This session was the latest of eleven ToTs conducted under the project since its inception. These sessions, delivered in partnership with industry experts and global collaborators, have collectively strengthened the capacity of instructors. By equipping trainers with up-to-date technical knowledge and effective teaching methodologies, the project has laid a strong foundation for long-term, scalable skills delivery in Zambia’s mining and construction industries.

“In Zambia, many of our customers use mining dump trucks, excavators, and wheel loaders. However, there’s a shortage of skilled operators due to the rapid expansion of the mining sector driven by global demand for copper. That is why I am here, to conduct training that will reinforce the capacities created by the project to develop capable trainers with up-to-date skills who can address this gap,” said Mr. Ito.   

Equipped with this enhanced knowledge, KVTC launched three heavy equipment operator training programs in March 2025. The result: a 94.6% completion rate, with 70 out of 74 enrolled students graduating after completing their training and sitting for TEVETA’s final examinations, and an encouraging 27.14% female participation rate, a meaningful advancement in a sector where men have traditionally prevailed. 

“The training helped me improve as a trainer and deliver more confidently in class and on-site,” shared Emily Mumba, Master Trainer at KVTC. “Seeing our students progress and graduate in such numbers, especially the women, is incredibly rewarding.” 

The impact of the training is best captured in the words of the graduates themselves. 

“My name is Sarah Banda. I completed the Heavy Equipment Operation training, specializing in the front-end loader,” she reflected. “I have always had a deep love for big machines, and years ago, I saw a woman operating a forklift, that moment stayed with me. I told myself, ‘I want to do that too.’ People said, ‘You can’t do this, you are a lady,’ but I didn’t listen. I knew what I wanted. This training proved that women could succeed in this field. Now, I want to inspire other young women to follow the same path, because we belong here too.” 

Through a hands-on curriculum and guidance from skilled trainers, students mastered the machinery while also developing critical skills in safety protocols, team coordination, and site discipline, skills that are immediately applicable in Zambia’s mining and construction operations. 

Zambia’s economy is heavily anchored in the mining sector, but employers have long faced a shortage of certified heavy equipment operators. This program directly addresses that gap by producing work-ready graduates. 

Initial engagement with employers in the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces indicates a growing awareness of the graduates’ technical capabilities and workplace readiness. 

The inclusion of 19 women in this cohort marks a significant shift in the landscape of heavy equipment operation. Historically seen as a male-only domain, this field is slowly opening to women, thanks to intentional gender mainstreaming efforts by UNIDO and KVTC. 

By removing social and institutional barriers to entry, the project is creating pathways for women to enter high-paying, technical jobs with long-term growth potential. As a result, female graduates now serve as role models, inspiring other young women to consider careers in the trades. 

Building on this momentum, KVTC plans to expand its training intake, establish more structured employer linkages, and track graduate employment outcomes in the coming months. 

The “Project for Promoting Youth Employment Through Construction Equipment Operating Skills Training” is funded by the generous support of the Government of Japan, in partnership with Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM), and the Government of Zambia through the Ministry of Technology and Science, implemented by UNIDO in KVTC. The project team remains committed to supporting Zambia’s industrialization efforts through relevant, inclusive, and scalable skills development programs.