Academicians and the private sector met in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday to strategically dialogue on how to improve teaching curriculum to produce qualified workforce that matches with the current market demand.
The dialogue came after complaints from employers about university graduates lacking employability skills and other attributes required by the labour market.
The Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Raphael Maganga said the private sector should nurture graduates for them to grab both local and international opportunities.
“It becomes imperative for us to prioritise the development of a comprehensive education system that ensures all graduates possess the necessary qualification for the jobs of the future,” said Mr Mganga.
He said the private sector holds a pivotal position since it also possesses valuable technical expertise and insights into the skills demanded by the job market.
“We as private sector must actively engage in the entire spectrum of skills training programs from their design and delivery to facilitating placements, field work and internships,” said Mr Maganga.
He added by doing so the private sector can contribute significantly to the development of a more comprehensive and interconnected system.
Mr Maganga said in the country where over 90 per cent of employment is generated by the private sector it is incumbent upon private companies to recognise their role as key beneficiaries of skilling initiatives.
“It is our moral duty to provide complete support and influence to the government in creating a favourable environment for skill development,” he said.
The dialogue brought together Chief Executives, Human Resource from various sectors including financial institutions, Agriculture- horticulture, Information and Communication Technology as well as Manufacturing and Industry.
It was heralded by the theme: ‘Enhancing Graduate Employability and Industry Productivity’.
The CRDB Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Abdulmajid Nsekela said most graduates were too ambitious.
He said universities are required to look at curriculum to prepare them for the particular field.
He said they must critically reflect on whether the curriculum is effectively developing employable graduates equipped with the creativity and necessary skills demanded by the labour market.
The communication skills, business IQ and work ethics have been seen as a big challenge for graduates who are employed in companies.
The Minister of State, President’s Office State House, Jamal Ali said through the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project the government has made an effort to raise funds with the aim of improving the curriculum that will be taught to young people that will be in line with market needs.
“Through this HEET project, we want to see our institutions collaborate more closely with its stakeholders, which are the private sector, the employer sector and even to build the capacity of our youth to be self-employed,” he said.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor of UDSM, Prof William Anangisye said the aim of the dialogue is to hold a strategic dialogue between the university and stakeholders from the private sector and learn from them how the university can produce graduates who are in line with the current market.
