Stakeholders in Tanzania’s skills development sector have endorsed a draft apprenticeship framework designed to strengthen practical skills training and improve youth employability.
Dar es Salaam. Stakeholders in Tanzania’s skills development sector have endorsed a draft national apprenticeship framework aimed at strengthening practical training systems and aligning them with labour market demands.
The draft framework was reviewed during a three-day meeting organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through the Global Skills Programme with support from the Norwegian government. The meeting brought together representatives from educational institutions, vocational training colleges, the private sector and government agencies.
Speaking during the discussions, ILO Skills Development Programme Officer Hafidh Khamis said the framework seeks to improve apprenticeship training systems to better respond to current employment needs.
He noted that key issues discussed included coordination of apprenticeship programmes, stakeholder collaboration and aligning Tanzania’s policies and laws with international Recommendation No. 208 on apprenticeships.
Mery Maduhu, Academic Manager and instructor at the National College of Tourism.
“The discussions focused on strengthening coordination, improving stakeholder engagement and ensuring Tanzania’s apprenticeship systems reflect international standards,” said Khamis.
Meanwhile, Mery Maduhu, Academic Manager and instructor at the National College of Tourism, said apprenticeship training should combine classroom learning with workplace experience to enhance employability among graduates.
“A student is expected to learn both in class and at the workplace. About 40 percent of the training is classroom-based while 60 percent is acquired through practical workplace experience,” she said.
ILO Skills Development Programme Officer Hafidh Khamis.
On her part, Martina Wangoma, Human Resources Officer at the Centre of Excellence for Tourism and Sansi Hotel Zanzibar, called on employers to strengthen collaboration with training institutions by offering more internship and apprenticeship opportunities to students.
“Employers should provide more practical training opportunities to help students gain the skills required in the labour market before graduation,” she said.
