PM hails VETA for empowering youths with job skills

LINDI: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has urged parents and guardians nationwide to encourage youths to enrol in technical courses offered by the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), which are intended to enable them to create their own employment opportunities.

He stressed that youth self-employment is a crucial driver for national development and that Tanzanians must utilise VETA trainings effectively.

Speaking yesterday after inspecting training workshops for the VETA College in Ruangwa District, Lindi, the Premier said the government has intensively invested on vocational learning infrastructures and coordinated training programmes to enrich the youth with skills that meet the present and future job markets.

“The government is deliberately committed to ensuring Tanzanian youths have skills. VETA’s trainings help youths to be employed and create own jobs,” Mr Majaliwa said.

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He added: “These are notable achievements for development of their families and the country at large.”

In conversations with students at the VETA College, Mr Majaliwa was satisfied and delighted with how the training programmes have been instrumental in strengthening their employability.

The College’s Acting Rector, Mr Mohamed Salum said that Ruangwa VETA is undergoing various reforms aimed at expanding the range of courses offered to better respond to job market demands.

He added that the reforms include significant investments in modern training equipment to enhance practical learning.

One of students who are beneficiaries of the Prime Minister’s Office programme, Mr Maganga Salum said that since joining VETA, he has acquired sufficient practical skills to start his own business.

“We are well equipped and ready for the job market. Since joining VETA, I have gained practical skills that empower me to start my own business. We are well equipped and ready to face challenges out there in the job market.”

The Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) in Tanzania was established by the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Act of Parliament No. 1 of 1994, revised in 2006.

Its primary goal is to oversee and enhance the vocational education and training system in Tanzania. VETA is responsible for promoting, coordinating, regulating and ensuring adequate and stable financing for the VET system.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), small economic units, including self-employed individuals and micro-enterprises, account for 70 per cent of total employment globally.

This makes them the most significant drivers of employment worldwide.