Govt intensifies youth skills drive to create jobs
KATAVI: THE government is ramping up efforts to equip young Tanzanians with practical skills that can turn them into job creators, entrepreneurs and drivers of economic growth.
Minister of State in the President’s Office (Youth Development) Joel Nanauka said the government was placing greater emphasis on skills development as a key pathway to youth empowerment and self-reliance.
He made the remarks while addressing students at Msaginya Folk Development College in Mpanda district, Katavi region, during a working tour to inspect youth development programmes and hear citizens’ views on government services.
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Nanauka explained that the approach reflects President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s vision of empowering young people through skills-based education and preparing them to play a meaningful role in national development.
According to him, the government’s priority was not simply to increase the number of academic certificates held by young people, but to ensure they acquire practical skills that can be applied in the workplace or used to create their own opportunities.
“The direction of the government now is not to make youth have many certificates, but to ensure they have skills they can use wherever they are,” the minister affirmed.
On the other hand, the minister urged students to make the most of their training and ensure they leave college with practical abilities that can help them earn a living and create opportunities for others.
“When you leave here, do not leave with only a certificate; leave with skills,” he urged.
Nanauka further said the government would continue investing resources in expanding access to vocational and practical skills training so that more young Tanzanians could benefit from programmes designed to improve employability and entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, the minuster explained that a skilled and empowered youth population was critical to Tanzania’s economic transformation, as young people with practical skills could pursue self-employment, establish businesses and reduce dependence on limited formal employment opportunities.
