Tanzania launches education guidelines for job opportunities

Dar es Salaam. The ministry of Education, Science and Technology has launched a national qualification system with international standards to, among other things, create more employment opportunities for Tanzanians abroad.

The Tanzania Qualification Framework (TQF), whose draft was yesterday disclosed to various education stakeholders for the purpose of reviewing and commenting on further improvements, will facilitate the transfer of staff to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) member states.

“We want to harmonise our academic qualifications while aligning the standards, knowledge, skills and competencies required for the labour market within and outside the country’s borders,” said Prof Eliamani Sedoyeka, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Education

He noted that the TQF was set up due to the fact that Tanzania has never had such a guide, which has resulted in many Tanzanians missing out on employment opportunities abroad or even within the country by foreign investors.

He said the preparation of TQF was in line with the SADC qualification framework but also focused on the protocol on the establishment of the East African Community common market, section D, which deals with, “Free Movement of persons and Labour” as well as article no. 12 on “harmonisation and mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications”.

“TQF also aims to balance and harmonise the country’s professional qualifications and awards by developing a system of setting standards, identifying the knowledge that will be provided, providing professionals with the skills needed in the labour market and enabling citizens to develop academically at home and abroad,” he said.

He further noted that the system considered levels of higher education, technical education and vocational training (TVET), basic education, adult education and informal systems.

For his part, Dr Noel Mbonde who is the director of technical education and vocational training in the ministry said: “This is the only document that will enable most of us, Tanzanians to work in other countries because they will already be aware of the kind of education we have.”

He said that often within the many international organisations present in the country have employees mostly that come from countries whose national qualification frameworks are already internationally recognised as meeting the required criteria.

“As it is currently, our professionalism and ability are not well demonstrated abroad. So, when we complete this framework we will create a document that will spread all over the world and identify the type of education we provide,” he said.

He noted that the initiative will introduce Tanzanian scholars’ qualification and facilitate greater trust even by other employers abroad.