AfDB, Govt.of Tanzania introduces US$57 million to assist Technical Vocational Education and Training Project Education

The African Development Bank (AfDB), incorporation with the United Republic of Tanzania, introduced the Technical Vocational Education and Teacher Education (TVET-TE) project worth US $57 million (Sh 92.4 billion) at Mwalimu Nyerere International Conference in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. The project is focused at improving access and enhance quality of technical and vocational education and training. The AfDB will fund 90 per cent ($52 Million) of the project while Government financing will manage the remaining 10 per cent. Government representatives led by the Minister for Education Vocation and Training (MoEVT), education development partners, civil society organizations, and other invited guests attended the ceremony.

AfDB Resident Representative Tonia Kandiero, in her speech, mentioned that the project is anticipated to enhance facilities at 13 institutions with a capacity of about 8,000 trainees. It will also involve the comprehensive use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at 53 institutions and improved capacity for teaching, policy formulation, planning and quality assurance in technical vocational education and teacher training. The project lies within the priorities of the Bank’s Country Strategy for Tanzania (CSP 2011-15) as well as Bank’s Ten Year (2013-2022) Strategy.

There was a requirement to acknowledge strong ownership of the project by the nation. A focused, capable and highly motivated project management crew must be in place to execute the different tasks of the project functioning and management. The team should regularly aim to master the rules and procedures applicable to the project, says, Boukary Savadogo, the Education, Science and Technology Division Manager at AfDB.

The project would also lead to the construction of vocational training centres in Geita, Njombe, Rukwa and Simiyu regions, which lack such colleges. As per the programme, Tabora, Dakawa, Marangu, Butimba, Arusha Technical College, and Mpwapwa teachers training colleges will also benefit by advancement of their facilities, says, Keiko Takei, Senior Education Economist and Task Manager at AfDB.

Last year, the launch of the TVET project was part of the broader Technical and Vocational Education and Training Development Programme (TVETDP). The TVET programme would support in bridging skills gaps and assist the nation to enhance the quality of its human capital, which was decisive for comprehensive growth and poverty reduction. The provision of science and technology education in the nation was severely restrained by an acute shortage of secondary school teachers, says, Education and Vocational Training Minister Shukuru Kawambwa.

The launching was a testimony to the Bank’s inputs to human capital development as part of assistance against the transformation of Tanzania’s economy and sustainable growth.