VETA analyses skills, tech gaps in wine industry

DODOMA: THE Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) has begun to analyse technology and skills gaps in the wine industry with the aim of developing programmes that will address skilled labour shortages and technological challenges.

VETA’s Executive Director, Mr Anthony Kasore said in Dodoma on Monday that the analysis will focus on the entire value chain of the industry, from grape farming and processing to packaging and the technologies needed to enhance productivity.

He was outlining the successes achieved over four years under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership.

He said the authority is collaborating with manufacturers to identify skills gaps and increase employment opportunities for Tanzanians in the subsector, which is currently dominated by foreigners.

“We are starting by analysing the challenges grape farmers face regarding equipment, processing and packaging. We see grape entrepreneurs selling their produce in poorly packaged boxes,” the VETA boss said.

Apart from this initiative, he explained that over the past four years, the government has allocated a total of 233.7bn/- for constructing new vocational training colleges, upgrading existing ones and installing modern training equipment to expand access to vocational education as a strategy to combat unemployment.

 ALSO READ:VETA graduates to get international accreditation

“The government also subsidizes vocational training by covering 860,000/- per student per year for operational and training costs. Each day student pays only 60,000/-, while boarding students pay 120,000/- in fees,” he said.

He added: “This amount is not enough, which is why the government steps in to subsidize government-owned vocational training colleges.”

Mr Kasore explained that between 2021 and 2024, the government spent a total of 94.5bn/- to complete the construction of 33 vocational training colleges, 29 at the district level and four at the regional level.

He also highlighted VETA’s efforts in conducting a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme for 5,175 technicians, enabling them to secure jobs in the country’s strategic projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP).

VETA envisions a Tanzania with a sufficient and competent workforce, with a mission centred on ensuring the availability of vocational skills through the provision and promotion of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to meet labour market demands and support socioeconomic development.