TANZANIA: GOVERNMENTS and nonstate actors mostly known as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have been grappling with a question of how to equip young people with the skills, information and opportunities necessary to succeed in the labour market where Youth unemployment is a complex issue with many facets.
Young people are in very different situations: there are young people of 18 to 25 having completed compulsory education or even university students and who fail at finding a job in the field of their studies.
Others, 16 to 21 have failed to finish compulsory education and are in risk of social exclusion.
Neither they nor the labour market often manage to imagine ways in which they can access or create jobs that generate value.
There are also young people who entered the labour market prematurely (attracted mainly by the salaries of the building sector) and are now unemployed and with few options to relocate to other sectors.
And finally, there are young people who have not managed to consolidate the transition from sporadic jobs, internships and underemployment to full time proper employment. In quick analysis, research of proven innovations should focus particularly on those solutions that focus on youth, but without closing the door to more generic solutions.
In particular, special attention will be given to those solutions that will: match the training of young people with the labour market needs, integrate young people at risk of social exclusion through employment and promote entrepreneurship as an alternative to seeking employment, creating new jobs not only for themselves entrepreneurs, but also for other young people.
Matching this, Care International Tanzania and PMI Tanzania Chapter, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enhance Tanzanian youth with essential project management skills.
This initiative is set to empower over 24,000 young people across four regions of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Unguja and Pemba through a comprehensive training programme.
Elaborating on this, CARE International (Tanzania) Country Director Prudence Masako noted that the collaboration marks a significant step towards empowering the next generation of leaders in Tanzania, fostering entrepreneurship and supporting the country’s long-term development goals. She added: “In this the PMI Tanzania chapter will provide project management education, certification and networking opportunities to help the young people as well as professionals and organisations to achieve excellence in their projects.
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“This is because the Chapter is committed to advancing the practice and profession of project management in Tanzania through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional development initiatives.
“Because its training focuses on enhancing the capacity of young people to manage community projects, entrepreneurial ventures, and other initiatives, the MoU will contribute to the country’s development.”
Equally the Director noted: “Spanning from 2023 to 2026, this project is part of a broader youth savings and loans initiative led by CARE International in Tanzania.
It aims to foster financial independence and entrepreneurial skills among young Tanzanians, contributing to sustainable economic growth.
” On his part Kheri Mbiro, President and Board Chairman of PMI Tanzania Chapter, emphasised the importance of project management in today’s economy, stating that by equipping the youth with these tools, that is definitely investing in the future of Tanzania.
“The training sessions, which began in July 2024, offer a comprehensive curriculum covering key project management concepts and practical applications.
The partnership between CARE International and PMI Tanzania underscores their shared commitment to sustainable development and empowering the next generation of Tanzanian leaders,” said Mbiro Mbiro further that, “We are thrilled to partner with PMI Tanzania Chapter to deliver this transformative training program.
By combining CARE International’s deep understanding of community development with PMI’s expertise in project management, we are confident that this initiative will create lasting positive change for Tanzanian youth,” “The collaboration between CARE International Tanzania and PMI Tanzania Chapter reflects a broader commitment to empowering the next generation of Tanzanian leaders with the skills and confidence they need to drive sustainable development in their communities,” he said “As the Project progresses, both organisations remain committed to fostering a culture of leadership, innovation and resilience among Tanzania’s youth,” he concluded
To empower the programme with financial muscle capability, the Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CARE International Tanzania that will see into it that the entire projects in the targeted areas get capital (read funds) to meet their objectives.
Taking the stance the bank’s Senior Manager -Strategic Planning, Geofrey Mbilinyi noted that being oriented at providing transformation of the socioeconomic landscape of Tanzania by providing and promoting financial solutions in a sustainable way, they will fund (loan) for working capital, purchase of capital items and investment activities to the envisioned programme.
