Tanzania turns to vocational training to solve youth unemployment

The government said Tanzania was fully diving into vocational education and technical training as the ultimate solution to unemployment.

The Deputy Minister of State, the office of the Prime Minister, in charge of Policy, Parliament, Labour, Employment, Youth, and the Disabled, Patrobas Katambi, said producing skilled youth is the solution to unemployment in the country.

"Our country focuses on starting to manufacture goods, and the only way to achieve this is by equipping our youth with the creative skills that technical institutions provide," said the Minister.

Katambi, who was speaking in Arusha during the official closing ceremony at the climax of a week-long National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET) exhibition, added that those who undergo technical studies have better chances of securing jobs.

"They also become better at creating enterprises and becoming employers who provide job opportunities to others," he said.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET), Dr. Adolf Rutayuga, said they were working to ensure that all students that graduate from the institutions are well equipped to undertake tasks thrown at them.

Dr. Rutayuga cited the case of Geita Gold Mining, which has entered into an agreement with vocational training institutes through which the company will be taking graduates from colleges, something he says is proof that they have trust in the technical education provided in the country.

Held at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Karume Stadium in Arusha, the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Exhibitions 2023 attracted a total of 145 exhibitors.

Dr. Rutayuga pointed out that the 2023 exhibitions in Arusha have been the best event and that NACTVET will ensure that such exhibitions take place annually with even better improvements.

The National Council for Technical Education works to assist the country’s technical institutions to improve and maintain the quality of the education they provide and to ensure that their programs meet labor market demand by guiding and monitoring their adherence to the regulatory framework.

It also performs advisory functions by advising both the government and technical institutions on the strategic development of technical education and training that can be undertaken.