Graduates’ skills wanting: TPSF

Dar es Salaam. The majority of Tanzanian university graduates lack English proficiency, communication skills and problem-solving ability, prompting employers to hire foreign professionals, the private sector says.

It adds that many of them are also not innovative. Tanzania Private Sector Foundation executive director Godfrey Simbeye told a workshop on internship training programme yesterday that it was therefore important to improve the education system for Tanzania to enjoy benefits of globalisation and economic liberalisation.

He called on universities to establish or strengthen their links with the private sector to produce graduates needed in the labour market.

He urged universities should equip students with more practical skills and competence rather than being largely theoretical. He said it was costly to get work permits for expatriates, making the transfer of skills difficult.

“This is very challenging because expatriates coming to work for a small company and for a large-scale company are all required to pay the same amount of money. It is therefore difficult to bring foreign skills.” He noted that it was imperative the government reviewed the law to get experts to help make the industrialisation dream a reality.

“For Tanzania to be an effective player in the East African Community, it must take deliberate steps to empower its labour force to increase productivity and competitiveness.” He explained that challenges facing the labour market such as low level of skills and competitiveness, slow change in mindset among graduates, negative attitude towards work, increase in forged certificates and the lack of creativity, accountability and self-motivation among workers affect productivity.

The deputy minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Labour, Youth, Employment and People with Disabilities), Mr Anthony Mavunde, said the government had set aside funds to facilitate the implementation of internship and apprenticeship.