UNESCO programme skilled 500 youth in IT, vocational
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has trained 562 youths in technical, vocational, entrepreneurial, and digital skills in the last five years.
The UN organisation financed the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems in Morogoro and Zanzibar between 2017 and 2022 at 1.56 million US dollars (3.63bn/-).
Through the project dubbed Better Education for Africa’s Rise Phase II (BEAR II), UNESCO reached the youths who were equipped with skills in technical, vocational, entrepreneurial, and digital skills to expand opportunities to access formal employment and a better life to reach out to those outside the formal education system.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Dr Francis Michael, said in a speech read on his behalf by the Commissioner of Education Dr Lyambwene Mutahabwa, that the young people garnered skills in digital design and development, aquatic product processing, and fruit and vegetable processing.
“UNESCO’s support has helped beneficiaries to develop vocational and entrepreneurial skills through vocational training colleges,” he said when closing the BAER II programme yesterday.
The trainings were conducted at Morogoro Vocational Teachers’ Training College (MVTTC) and Karume Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
Other skills gained through the BEAR II project, included highly needed skills in career guidance and counselling system, which provides a room for young people to acquire, exchange information, and transfer knowledge, promote the provision of job search skills training and employment counselling.
“Also, in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls and young women have been empowered through holistic efforts to make schools and communities safe with reduced gender-based violence.
The trained youths were 232 males and 227 females from mainland and Zanzibar.
Mr Michel Toto, Officer in Charge of UNESCO Dar es Salaam officer said that BEAR II project has left a mark in championing young people with employability skills for addressing the jobless ness among the youths.
He said that the next step was for all involved stakeholders to discuss the way forward and how to sustain the results
