How ministry of education, TEA are changing tides in TVET

Dar es Salaam. While the government has identified its plan to continue its efforts to secure loans for lending to middle and vocational training students, the Tanzania Education Authority (TEA) has also embarked on contributing to youths’ skills improvement for self-employment.Through the Skills Development Fund (SDF), a programme being coordinated by TEA has continued to bring back a smile to many young Tanzanians by providing them with training that helps them in shaping their lives.Dean of Future World College, Asumini Awadhi discloses that at least 450 young people had the opportunity to train and become motorcycle assemblers at her college.The three-month training was held at Future World College after which the youngsters were attached to various industries and garages for practical training.In addition, one of the six priority sectors that receive grants from the SDF is tourism where youths are trained on hospitality services then go on to find a niche for themselves.The fund, part of the Education and Skills for Productive Jobs (ESPJ) programme and the National Skills Development Strategy - NSDS) has made cultural tourism an attraction for many visitors who mostly want to study some customs and traditions of various ethnic groups, especially the traditional cuisine and its preparation.As it is, many tourists who come to the country have different aspirations for learning objects where some of them prefer cultural tourism to learn the traditions and customs of various tribes including the Maasai tribe.SDF Fund Coordinator, Masozi Nyirenda said they were providing funds in a bid to provide tourism industry training and hospitality services especially in cultural tourism, a training that has so far benefited a total of 400 young people from Arusha and neighbouring regions.This is one of the sub-projects of the SDF implemented by TEA which were showcased in the 2022 TVET Skills Exhibition that took place from June 7th – 13th, 2022 in Dodoma.Closing the exhibition on June 13, 2022, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology Prof Adolf Mkenda said that the government was continuing its efforts to secure loans for lending students in the middle and vocational training colleges in the country.Prof Mkenda noted in the plan, NMB Bank PLC had agreed to provide Sh200 billion for that purpose as he called upon other development stakeholders to join in their hands."These loans will not be the same as those issued by the Credit Board so if the parent is an employee and will need to educate their child VETA will be given the loan on concessional terms," he said.Prof Mkenda explained that in order to ensure that the exercise of lending at that level was effective, there was a need for specific statistics for all colleges that offer such training."With the right data we will know which courses to advise banks to support and provide loans to those students who will repay when they are employed or self-employed. This will help expand the scope of college graduates and self-employed or employed youths," he explained.He also instructed the National Council for Technical Education and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET) to ensure that they manage the content provided in colleges as a continuation to the implementation of the directives made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during her first address to parliament."President Samia while addressing parliament instructed the Ministry of Education through education policies and curricula to increase the quality of education to ensure it brings skills that prepare graduates to afford the environment…