Australia supports VETA for Extractive Skills Development in Tanzania
Australia is supporting the Tanzanian Governments Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) in order to strengthen vocational training institutions and their capacity to deliver skilled, work-ready local graduates to meet the needs of the extractive and associated industries.
The Tanzanian Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system has identified several challenges to producing graduates with the skills required to meet industry demands. These include curriculum development and adequate training for trainers. Australia is supporting a three-month consultancy that will assist VETA to design an innovative approach to address these challenges.
Technical advisers will work closely with VETA and key partners to draft and deliver a Business Case and Business Plan for a Centre of Excellence for Skills Development.
As a priority, this work will focus on addressing challenges and leveraging knowledge gained from the Integrated Mining Technical Training (IMTT) Moshi program (a government / industry joint venture), establishing VETA Moshi as a Centre of Excellence and extending key initiatives to other VETA centres in Tanzania. This will include options for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and for strengthening women’s participation.
On Wednesday 27 May, the Australian High Commissioner to Tanzania, His Excellency John Feakes, officially launched the project at the Hyatt Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
“Australia is delighted to support VETA in its ongoing efforts to ensure that Tanzanian’s are bestpositioned to capture the benefits flowing from extractive industries’ investments in their countries. The supply of a diverse, skilled workforce allows major extractive companies to hire locally, enabling them to meet and exceed their local content quotas whilst benefitting local communities and people. This has powerful flow-on effects for local economic development and growth, particularly through increased employment opportunities and income”, Mr Feakes said.
“As a resource-rich country, with significant experience in training and skills development for the extractives sector, Australia is pleased to help Tanzanians benefit from the extractives industry. The resource sector has the potential to play a positive, transformational role in development, and we know that our support for this consultancy is a strong step towards contributing to that transformation.”
Critical to the success of the project will be close collaboration and engagement with major extractives industry companies (including those involved in the IMTT joint venture), donors, VETA training institutes and government agencies, including the Tanzanian Chamber of Minerals and Energy (TCME), and the National Council for Technical Education (NACTE).