Tansania: Deutsche Kammer und Veta kooperieren bei Ausbildungsprojekt

German chamber, Veta partner in apprenticeship project

A German chamber for skilled trades has partnered with the Vocational Education and Training Authority (Veta) in Tanzania to improve skills in agro-technology-related occupations.

The West German Chamber of Crafts and Skilled Trades’ Council (WHKT) committed euro 242,750 (about Sh650 million) for the programme, the two sides said in a statement. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Dual Apprenticeship Training System (DATS) project focuses on two main areas of agro-technology.

These include agro-mechanics and prevention of post-harvest losses (PPHL).

The agreement states that the main activities will be long courses; short courses to be executed by short-term experts; procurement of materials and equipment (some of them to be imported from Germany); and public relations.

Speaking during the launching of the planning workshop, the Veta director general, Dr Pancras Bujulu, extended appreciation to WHKT for her continued support in implementation of the project.

He said that VETA and WHKT have cooperated since 2017 for the project implemented at the Manyara Regional Vocational Training and Services Centre (VETA Manyara), whereby a total of 72 apprentices have been enrolled and the first batch will sit for the final examinations in December this year.

"Implementation of Phase One of the DATS in agro-mechanics at Manyara RVTSC has been very successful. The number of companies participating in the programme has increased from two when the Program commenced to more than ten now, and the trend is on the increase," he said.

He said the Second Phase of the project, which runs from April 2020 to March 2023, will focus on the rollout and further development of the dual apprenticeship training concept to other VETA training centres.

The WHKT chief executive officer, Mr Matthius Heidmeier, said there is a common goal that VETA and WHKT want to achieve, which is imparting practical skills to the youth as a way to enhance their livelihood and contribute to the economy.

"We believe that learning an occupation is not only a cognitive process. You learn best when you do not only use your mind but all your senses. This is why vocational education plays such a big role in Germany. It is also why the German skilled crafts sector puts so much effort in the training of its young apprentices. And this is also the reason why we contribute to this project and to the cooperation between our two countries, to the cooperation between our cultures and our societies," he emphasized.