THE government has completed the construction of 33 vocational training centres—29 district-level and four at regional level - at a cost of 94.5bn/- from 2021 to 2024.

Anthony Kasore, the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) director general, made this affirmation at a press conference here yesterday, outlining the government’s achievements in that field during the past four years.

A total of 103bn/- was allocated for fiscal 2022/2023 to construct 64 district vocational training centers and one regional center in Songwe, increasing student enrolment capacity by 89,700 with the new facilities, he said.

. VETA currently operates 80 training centres, with ongoing construction up to December taking the units to 145 centres, he said, noting that the government has also invested 14.2bn/- in expanding and renovating infrastructure at existing VETA centres.

These include facilities in Newala, Ngorongoro, Moshi, Dar es Salaam (Chang'ombe), Kipawa, Mtwara, Mwanza, Mikumi, Karagwe, Morogoro (MVTTC), Nkasi, Nyamidaho, Kanadi, Ileje, Namtumbo, Mabalanga, Gorowa, Arusha and Busokelo, he said.

Furthermore, 22bn/- was allocated to enhance training equipment and technology, as 295,175 students were enrolled in long- and short-term courses at VETA centres during the period, he elaborated.

To further expand access to vocational training, the government has increased the number of VETA centres from 41 in 2020 to 80 at the start of this year, where by June 2026, an additional 65 centres are expected to have been completed, with a projected annual enrolment of 200,000 students, he specified.

In terms of curriculum development, 42 programmes have been revised and 20 new ones introduced in ICT, sports, electrical engineering, automotive mechanics, machinery, agriculture, hospitality, transportation, business, tailoring, mining and beauty therapy, he observed.

VETA training has ensured that more opportunities are available for local technicians in major national projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), he said.

In September 2023, VETA inked partnership with EACOP Ltd for specialized training, where by November 20, 2024, 141 students (110 Tanzanians and 31 Ugandans) had been enrolled at VETA Moshi. A total of 80 youth from communities along the EACOP pipeline route were sponsored for various vocational courses at VETA institutions, he further noted.

In a keynote parliamentary address on April 22, 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan highlighted the need to review the 2014 Education and Training Policy and improve existing curriculum to focus on skills education aligned with national needs and labour market demands, he recalled.

On October 13, 2022, the President further stated, "We talk about the issue of unemployment; we educate children, but they remain jobless… Our job is to ensure we empower young people by equipping them with skills so they can either be self-employed or employed by others."

Various national policies, plans, and strategies—including the 2014 Education and Training Policy (2023 Edition), the National Development Vision 2025, and the Third Five-Year National Development Plan (2021/2022 - 2025/2026)—prioritize skill development to prepare a workforce for industrial development and economic growth, he added.