VET enrolment jumps 29pc

DAR ES SALAAM: GOVERNMENT efforts to improve youth employability are bearing fruit, with enrolment in Vocational Education and Training (VET) colleges increasing by 29.4 per cent over the past four years.

The number of students enrolled in VET institutions increased from 344,815 in 2021 to 446,252 in 2025, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, announced recently during a press conference in Dar es Salaam.

Prof Mkenda attributed the growth largely to the expansion of vocational training infrastructure across the country, noting that the number of VET colleges rose from 662 institutions in 2020 to 860 in 2024, owned by both the government and the private sector.

He said that of the total institutions, 162 are state-owned, while 698 are operated by private owners.

In addition, the government has completed construction of 63 district vocational colleges as part of efforts to ensure that every district has at least one such institution.

The Sixth Phase Government has also constructed a VET college in Songwe Region.

“This significant milestone offers an opportunity for youth across the country to access vocational training and acquire skills that match the needs of their local environments,” Prof Mkenda said.

“Vocational training equips young people with practical skills that prepare them for employment and self-reliance.”

In a related development, the minister said Tanzania has 55 Folk Development Colleges (FDCs), which provide community-based vocational and adult education tailored to real-time economic opportunities within specific localities.

The colleges are designed to promote self-reliance and rural development.

Prof Mkenda said that since the Sixth Phase Government assumed office, it has been upgrading FDCs, significantly strengthening their intake capacity from 3,258 students in the 2020/21 financial year to 13,783 in the 2024/25 financial year.

He said the initiative has enabled many young people to acquire practical skills that are in demand in the labour market.

On the formalisation of skills acquired informally, Prof Mkenda said the government has approved certification for a total of 24,867 people.

“Through VETA, we identify their talents, assess their competencies, provide additional training where necessary and then certify them,” he said.

“The ministry recognises that there are many competent technicians who acquired their skills through hands-on experience and have made a significant contribution to society.”

He explained that once certified, beneficiaries of the skills formalisation programme become eligible for employment in development projects or private companies.

According to Prof Mkenda, most informally acquired skills are found in fields such as mechanics, carpentry, electrical installation, tailoring, food preparation, plumbing and masonry.

“These young people have been eager to secure employment, but lack of certification has remained a major challenge,” he said.

He added that the government also encourages youth to continue advancing their education through formal pathways, including up to higher education levels such as bachelor’s degrees.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Youth Development, Dr Joel Nanauka, emphasised the central role of young people in accelerating industrialisation and overall economic growth.

Speaking during a separate media briefing in Dar es Salaam, Dr Nanauka said the government is committed to economically empowering youth to transition from micro-enterprises to large-scale businesses and become leaders in the manufacturing economy.

“We want a large proportion of our youth to be producers and manufacturers,” he said.

Dr Nanauka said that under a youth investment programme, the government aims to establish more than 100,000 youth-led companies over the next five years.

Of these, 20,000 will be accommodated in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in collaboration with the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA), benefiting from a dedicated funding scheme that includes asset financing.

Asset financing, he noted, will enable businesses to acquire essential machinery and equipment.

He said the selected 20,000 youth-led manufacturing companies will be required to create at least 50 jobs each, contributing to the ministry’s target of generating about one million jobs within five years.

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According to Dr Nanauka, youth-led firms in SEZs will focus on priority sectors such as agroprocessing and digital creative industries.

Their location within SEZs is also expected to enhance credibility and attract financial support from banks and other private-sector players.

He added that SEZs are equipped with supportive investment infrastructure, including reliable electricity and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), facilitated through TISEZA’s One Stop Facilitation Centre.

To expand access to capital, Dr Nanauka said the government plans to establish a credit guarantee scheme and encourage banks to open dedicated youth investment windows, enabling young entrepreneurs to access affordable loans without stringent collateral requirements.

He said his ministry has an indicative budget of 8bn/- to provide capital to youth-led businesses, part of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s 200bn/- pledge announced within her first 100 days in office to finance citizen-owned enterprises.

Dr Nanauka added that economic empowerment initiatives will be supported by coaching and mentorship programmes focusing on marketing, resilience, volunteerism and entrepreneurship skills.

On skills mismatch, he urged youth to embrace lifelong learning, noting that the relevance of acquired knowledge typically lasts about two and a half years.

He said the government has continued to strengthen internship programmes funded through the Skills Development Levy (SDL) to enhance youth competitiveness in the labour market.

Dr Nanauka further revealed that community development officers across the country have been directed to establish youth databases, which will guide planning and implementation of youth-focused programmes.

Looking ahead, he said the government plans to establish an Open Coding School to equip young people with digital skills needed to thrive in the digital economy.

“The digital space offers enormous economic opportunities beyond communication alone,” he said, noting that youth currently account for more than 50 per cent of the country’s workforce.