ILO conducts soft skills training for apprenticeship graduates in Tanzania 18-22 March, Arusha

The ILO Skill-Up Tanzania: Upgrading skills for the changing world of work programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of tourism and natural resources, the National College of Tourism (NCT), Hotel Association of Tanzania (HAT) and the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) conducted a follow up soft skills training workshop in Arusha from 18 to 22 March 2019. The workshop is part of ILO’S drive to strengthen skills development and increase access to the job market amongst Tanzania’s youth.

Targeted to about 60 apprenticeship programme graduates who have since completed their training and are transitioning to full time wage or self-employment the training was aimed at brushing up the graduates’ interpersonal and communication skills and further prepare them to join the job market.

The project is funded by the Government of Norway and implemented by ILO in close collaboration with the above organisations and other private sector stakeholders. It is aimed at promoting both technical training and employability skills development as integral parts of decent work promotion amongst the youth population in Tanzania.

Employability skills development empowers workers and enriches their lives by availing them access to the changing job market. The soft skills training was therefore aimed at challenging the graduates through participatory learning to fill-in the existing skills and knowledge gaps, also ensuring the sustainability of the apprenticeship programme results. The training is part of ILO’s drive towards systematic interventions to improve existing capacities of people and institutions by providing tools and know how through direct involvement.

The private sector partners concurred and pin pointed soft skills as an area which the apprenticeship graduates needed further training. Public speaking, interpersonal and leadership skills for example were mentioned by employers as areas requiring more improvement.

According to Ms Neema Sabulaki, NCT campus manager, English public speaking is a major road block for students at the institute and those working in the tourism sector.

“Instilling the continuous use of English throughout the training period has been a challenge for us ... naturally the student revert back to Kiswahili, but we strive to train them in other languages as well…” said Sabulaki.

Other areas covered during the training included Customer care and service provision, supervision, entrepreneurial and business development Services (BDS) and awareness raising on business opportunities.

Under the apprenticeship programme, the private sector partners identified language competency and fluency as among the important criteria for enrolment. Further during practical training the apprentices are expected to strengthen their employability skills through confidence building and mastery of positive work ethics.

Addressing the apprentices, Mr Nicolas Konig, General Manager, Melia Hotels and Resorts, a long term partner of the programme based in Arusha, commended the ILO programme for conducting the training for the youth who are the right candidates for the existing job opportunities in the country’s leading hotels.

“We need people with the right training and interpersonal skills…we therefore urge you to be proactive in your job seeking errands…” Konig counselled the apprentices.

The above training is part of a three phase programme slated for Arusha, Dar es Salam and Zanzibar as part of ILO’s support to the government’s efforts to promote skills training and access to the labour market, targeted to reach over 200 young men and women.