PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has stated that the government will continue to collaborate fully with the private sector on technical education and vocational training to produce professionals with the necessary skills.
The Premier called on all employers in the country to continue cooperating with the government so that the nation can achieve its goals of developing skills to meet the demand of the growing labour market.
Mr Majaliwa expressed the government commitment in Dar es Salaam at a gathering that attracted education stakeholders and the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET) officials to acknowledge the value of producing skilled labour on the labour market.
"The development of the economy of any country is highly dependent on the level of skills of the labour force that it has." "Therefore, the contribution of stakeholders is significant," he said.
Likewise, the Prime Minister applauded employers for providing field practical training opportunities, apprenticeships, internships and their participation in preparing the curricula used in colleges and institutions of Vocational Education and Training.
"It is undeniable that progress cannot occur without knowledge and skills. Many nations that have made significant advancements in development have succeeded by emphasising developing competent human resources. The skills are required in numerous domains of industry in this country as well," said Mr Majaliwa.
e stated that the government is carrying out a vision to assist young people in the country through various plans and strategies, including the Third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III; 2021/22 - 2025/26), which aims to develop skills for approximately 681,000 Tanzanians, in recognition of the importance of developing skills and knowledge.
Mr Majaliwa said that, according to the 2021 Integrated Labour Force Survey, the youth workforce is 14.2 million, equivalent to 55 per cent of the total workforce in the country. A total of 12.5 million youths which is equivalent to 87.8 per cent of the youth workforce in the country are employed or self-employed.
Additionally, he said that 22,899 young people had gained the skills necessary for either self-employment or employment through the implementation of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) 2016-2027. At least 14,440 of them, including 349 young individuals who have disabilities, have received training as apprentices in a variety of sectors.
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Earlier, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Professor Adolf Mkenda said that the government will continue to manage the implementation of the NSDS, one of the objectives of which is to have cooperation between employers, stakeholders and colleges or higher education institutes.
"This partnership will bring great productivity and eliminate the notion that our graduates do not have the skills needed in the labour market," said Prof Mkenda.
Chief Executive of the Tanzania Employers Association (ATE), Suzanne Ndomba-Doran said that for Tanzania to fully participate in the competitive labour market of East Africa and the world, deliberate steps must be taken to develop skills, especially for young people.
"In fulfilling this duty, at ATE we believe that employers have a great chance in achieving the goals we have set for ourselves as a country," she said.
Ms Ndomba said they expect to increase the number of graduates with apprenticeship training to 231,000 by 2025/26 from 46,000, in 2019/20, in the same way with training, the goal is to reach 150,000 graduates by 2025/26 from 30,000, in 2019/20.
