EAC INITIATIVE TO BRIDGE SKILLS GAP COMMENDABLE

Recently, the East African Community (EAC) – doing so with considerable help from Germany – launched a digital skills development programme that is intended for use principally in the EAC region.

Titled “Digital Skills for an Innovative East Africa Industry (dSkills@EA)”, the programme is in effect an online matchmaking platform for skills development. It is especially designed to link young professionals with businesses for jobs and internships – with the principle objective of bridging the skills gap.

This is especially with regard to digital skills for the application and development of digital products and services for industries in the EAC regional bloc.

All the foregoing comes about in the wake of a survey in the EAC region by the US-based global management consultancy McKinsey & Company which – among other findings – established that there is indeed “a need for reskilling the professionals in the region”.

According to the McKinsey survey, “one-third of the workforce across the EAC face disruptions resulting from technology and market trends that require reskilling of professionals… The market already has a pool of talent that can support businesses for socioeconomic growth,” the study concluded.

A 2014 Survey by the EA Qualifications Framework for Higher Education had established that skills gaps in the region adversely affected 77 percent of productivity; 44 percent of efficiency, and eight percent of business competitiveness.

According to the recent McKinsey survey, this disruptive situation has not changed that much since then – and, indeed, nine-in-ten executives and managers of the institutions interviewed in the McKinsey study freely admitted that their institutions “faced critical gaps in knowledge and skills that are needed to deliver” in this increasingly-globalising, highly-competitive day-and-age.

We heartily agree with the executive director of the East African Business Council, Mr John-Bosco Kalisa, that we must struggle hard to effectively surmount this serious shortcoming – starting as the EAC has done by launching the reskilling platform programme.

MBARAWA DIRECTIVE LAUDABLE

The minister for Works and Transport, Prof Makame Mbarawa, has reminded Tanzanians in general, as well as political and other leaders in particular, on the importance of strictly observing requirements governing security at airports. Prof Mbarawa did this at an event on Wednesday to mark 2021 as the Year of Security Culture (YoSC). This is an initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) aiming to raise security awareness, and promote a positive security culture in aviation operations worldwide.

2021 was also designated by ICAO to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the terrorist bombings of the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the US on September 11, 2001, which killed 2,996 and injured about 25,000 people.

Prof Mbarawa used the occasion to admonish people – including especially principal government officials – who use their positions to flaunt or avoid security inspections/checks at airports.

This endangers the security and safety of other people and property, he said, directing heads of air transport authorities and related institutions to ensure that airport security rules and regulations are adhered to and complied with by all and sundry as a matter of course.