IN ensuring that the country has a competitive workforce in the labour market, the government expects to reduce the unskilled workforce from 77 per cent recorded in 2021 to 54 per cent by 2025.
Speaking over the weekend when officiating at the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) 64 Annual General Meeting and High-Level Conference in Dar es Salaam, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (Labour, Youth, Employment & Disabled), Mr Patrobas Katambi, said the government expects to bring down the number of unskilled workers to 54 per cent in 2025.
"To ensure that the national workforce acquires appropriate skills and becomes employable and creates self-employment the government intends to reduce the unskilled workforce in the labour market from 77 per cent in 2021 to 54 per cent in 2025. This will be done through the National Skills Development Strategy," he pointed out.
Commenting on the meeting's theme 'The Role of Social Partners in Promoting Skills Development Through Workplace Learning Models (Apprenticeship, Internship and Practical Training), the deputy minister said the topic came at the right time and it is in line with President Samia Suluhu Hassan's efforts in cooperating with stakeholders in developing skills for young people for the well-being of the country's economy.
"In ensuring that the skill development programmes are sustainable, the country's budget for 2023/24, proposed to reduce Skills Development Levy (SDL) from four per cent to 3.5 per cent and promised to continue to reduce it gradually in order to reduce the burden on employers and stimulate opportunities of employment in the country," he added.
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In particular, Mr Katambi urged all employers in the country to provide opportunities to people with disabilities to get training to develop skills in the workplace in order to create diversity and inclusion.
For her part, ATE Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Advocate Suzanne Ndomba-Doran commended the government for continuing to provide incentives and motivation through various policies and programmes including reducing SDL to stimulate the participation of employers in developing skills but also in creating employment opportunities in this country.
"ATE will continue to cooperate with the government and I hope we will use this Annual General Meeting (AGM) to further improve the government's plans and strategies in combating the challenges of unemployment in the country," she added.
In a related development, ATE CEO said the 64th meeting went along with various activities including the election of a new ATE chairman Mr Oscar Mgaya and the launch of the association membership portal.
