Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - United Republic of Tanzania (Ratification: 1983)

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Article 1 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of vocational education and training policies. The Committee notes the adoption of the Third National Five Year-Development Plan (FYDP III) 2021/22–2025/26 in June 2021, which is a continuation of the Government’s efforts in achieving the goals set in the National Development Vision 2025. The FYDP III includes among its main objectives, raising both the availability and quality of education and skills development. In this respect, the FYDP III envisages the implementation of the following interventions: increasing spending on inclusive education, skills and innovation related research and development (R&D) initiatives; improving infrastructure in training and development institutions for special and rare cadres; and reviewing and updating curriculums to ensure its alignment with the labour market’s needs. Moreover, the Government indicates the adoption of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) 2016–26 with the aim of addressing skills shortage by improving efficiency and effectiveness of the skills development system. The NSDS covers formal, non-formal and informal skills development. The Government also refers to the implementation of the project “Education and Skills for Productive Jobs (ESPJ)” with the objective of strengthening the institutional capacity of the Recipient’s skills development system and promoting the expansion and quality of labour market driven skills development opportunities. The ESPJ focuses on six economic sectors with strong potential for job creation: agriculture and agribusiness; tourism and hospitality; transport and logistics; construction; energy and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors. The Government also refers to a study on the employability of vocational education and training (VET) graduates whose elaboration was envisaged for 2022 in order to determinate and evaluate the quality and relevance of their skills in the labour market. Moreover, the Government reports that the number of registered technical institutions increased from 429 in 2021 to 465 in 2022. The number of participants in technical education also increased from 157,420 participants in the academic year 2020/2021 to 179,519 (91,995 men and 87,523 women) in 2021/2022. The number of participants in vocational education and training (VET) also slightly increased from 320,143 during 2019/2020 to 380,748 (225,621 men and 155,127 women) during 2020/2021. With regard to recognition of prior learning, the Government reports that, between 2020 and 2021, 2,268 men and 376 women were assessed and certified. The Committee observes that the National Five Year-Development Plan (FYDP III) 2021/22–2025/26 and the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) 2016–26 will have expired by the time the next report on the application of the Convention is due. It therefore requests the Government to provide detailed updated information on the results, lessons learnt, and future activities planned in relation to vocational education and training. In particular, the Committee requests information on the impact of the policies and programmes related to VET, including statistics on the number of participants, disaggregated by sex, age, and sector, in the different programmes and in relation to participants’ access to lasting employment, especially in rural areas. It also requests the Government to provide a copy of the study on the employability of VET graduates.

Article 3. Coverage by the vocational training system of groups in vulnerable situations. The Committee observes that the FYDP III includes among its objectives improving access and participation of women and persons with disabilities in tertiary and higher learning institutions; and promoting employable skills for population groups in special needs. The Government reports that, during the academic year 2021/2022, 18,764 men and 18,405 women graduated in health and allied sciences (HAS), 35,404 women and 29,487 men in business, tourism and planning (BTP) and 14,572 men and 7,264 women in science and allied technologies (SAT). During the same period, 1,092 women and 468 men participated in the integrated training for entrepreneurship promotion (INTEP) program, which focuses on training people who are unemployed, underemployed, or those who are working in the informal sector (micro and small enterprises) in both urban and rural settings. The Government reports that, between 2013 and 2022, 667 persons participated in dual apprenticeship in the following sectors: hospitality (175 women and 6 men), motor vehicle mechanics (135 men and 16 women), electrical installation (118 men and 16 women) and agro-mechanics (162 men and 18 women). With regard to the measures taken to promote access of persons with disabilities to VET, the Government refers to the implementation of the Educational and Training Policy of 2014, which envisages the establishment of a system that will enable the development of students with different talents and special needs in teaching and learning at all levels of education. The Government indicates the adoption of the National Strategy for Inclusive Education of 2021/22–2025/26, which aims at providing access and quality inclusive education at all levels for learners with special educational needs. In this respect, it envisages the adoption of measures to ensure that education policy, legislation and guidelines are informed by inclusive values and practices; to guarantee equitable access and participation of students with diverse needs and provision of quality inclusive education at all levels; and to improve coordination and collaboration among education stakeholders in delivering inclusive education. The Government refers to the development of the 2022 Guidelines for Inclusive Education as well as of a Manual for inclusion in VET to provide guidance to stakeholders on how to ensure access of persons with disabilities to VET. The Government reports that in 2021, 227 persons with disabilities (115 men and 112 women) participated in VET. Regarding the participation of young persons in VET, the Committee notes the implementation with the support of the Swiss Government of the Skills for Employment Tanzania (SET) project (Phase II 2022–26) in Morogoro region, which seeks to improve the prospects of gainful youth (self-) employment through a contribution to improved access, relevance, and quality of Vocational Skills Development (VSD). The SET focuses on non-formal vocational skills training and targets young people aged 15 to 24, especially young mothers and those who cannot access and/or afford formal vocational education. During the Phase I of the SET (2017–22), over 10,000 young persons (53 per cent of women) attended and benefitted from supported skills development training courses, 17 labour market analyses were conducted to establish skills-needs evidence, and a Labour Market Analysis Guide was produced for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to implement labour market analyses for specific occupations, jobs or locations. Lastly, the Government refers to the adoption of the Circular No. 2 of 2021 on school re-entry for primary and secondary school students to address dropouts for various reasons, which offers the opportunity to students who drop out of school to continue with their studies in a formal education system within two years since desisting their studies. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide up-to-date, detailed information, including statistical information disaggregated by sex, age, and sectors of activity on the impact of measures implemented to promote women’s professional abilities and to increase gender-balanced access and participation to vocational education and training. It further requests the Government to continue to provide information on measures taken or envisaged for the provision of vocational guidance, education and training that enables young persons and persons with disabilities to access the labour market, including in rural areas. The Committee reiterates its request to the Government to provide updated information on the manner in which it ensures that specific groups of workers who encounter difficulties in obtaining employment, such as rural workers and workers in the informal economy enjoy equal access to vocational guidance, education and training opportunities.

Article 5. Cooperation with the social partners. The Committee observes that the FYDP III was developed with the involvement of the private sector, civil society, non-governmental organizations and development partners. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the social partners and other relevant stakeholders have participated in the development of the NSDS 2016–26. The Government also indicates that it collaborates with the social partners through conducting stakeholder’s consultations to collect information for policy and curricula development and review with the aim of identifying existing gaps and make the necessary improvement. The Government refers to a report from April 2022 by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET) in collaboration with the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) on “Employers in the Development of Employability Skills in Tanzania”. According to this report, while at least 72 per cent of the respondent employers support work-based skills development programmes, the number of students supported remain low as many face obstacles to find internship, apprenticeships, and practical trainings. The report calls for collaboration among employers, education providers and the government for sustainable skills development. Taking due note of the above, the Committee requests the Government to provide concrete examples on the manner in whichthe social partners, including both employers’ and workers’ organizations, cooperate in the formulation and, importantly also the implementation of vocational training policies and programmes, as required pursuant to Article 5 of the Convention.