Tanzania’s strategy to reduce unemployment

As such, the government will also increase the number of graduates who receive on-the-job training as part of efforts to develop skills for the youth.

Prof Ndalichako said this during a meeting to introduce the new board of directors for the Tanzania Employers’ Association (ATE).

“We believe that the solution to unemployment lies in adequate collaboration with employers through their association, ATE, on issues such as lack of skills for young people and on-job-training opportunities,” she said.

According to her, through the third Five-Year Development Plan (2021/22 - 2025/26), the government was looking to increase the number of graduates with apprenticeship training to 231,000 by 2025/26 from 46,000 in 2019/20. In training the goal is to reach 150,000 graduates by 2025/26 from 30,000, in 2019/20.

Meanwhile, the board chairman of ATE Mr Oscar Mgaya said the association has a three-year business plan (2023-25) that aims to stimulate the participation of employers in promoting a competitive and sustainable economy.

The plan includes stimulating the participation of employers in developing skills to match the needs of the Job market in the country and abroad.

“Improving the laws and systems that regulate labour and employment issues to bring productivity to the workplace and continue to generally stimulate the participation of the private sector in developing the economy of our country in collaboration with various development stakeholders including the government,” he said.

Stimulating the understanding and participation of the private sector in cross-cutting issues such as achieving gender equality in the employment market, reducing and facing the effects of climate change (adoption of green transition initiatives), continuing to improve issues of health and safety at the Workplace, and the participation of people with disabilities in finding employment opportunities.

“As chairman, my motivation with my new board includes continuing to push agendas to promote the country's economy and investment but also to contribute to the well-being of ATE. ATE in the recent period has been doing very well and this has even attracted external stakeholders to continue working with ATE, and now we have close cooperation with other Ministries such as the Ministry of Education through various projects of skill development in the country,” he said.

Noting that they hailed the government, through the Financial Law of 2023, it has reduced the Skill Development Levy (SDL) from 4 percent to 3.5 percent and promised to reduce it gradually to continue to reduce the costs of doing business for employers in the country.

Along with that, we congratulate all the changes in policy, Laws, regulations, and procedures aimed at improving the environment for doing business and investing in the country.