Exploring support to the operational implementation of Sector Skills Councils in Tanzania
In 2016, Tanzania launched its national Skills Development Strategy, covering the period up to 2026. The ultimate goal is to provide Tanzania with qualified and competitive workforce to serve sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Within this strategy, the Government of Tanzania has identified three key sectors (agribusiness, tourism and energy) with a strong development potential for the next decade, as well as the support sectors to invest in (construction, transport/logistics and ICTs).
The Tanzanian Ministry for Education, Science and Technology, which leads the implementation of the Strategy, has endowed the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) with the task of developing six Sector Skills Councils (SSC) in the above sectors, under the World Bank project ‘’’Education and Skills for Productive Jobs (ESPJ)’’.
In this context, in October 2019 TPSF has requested IIEP-Pôle de Dakar’s support for the identification the areas of possible support to the operational implementation of the currently established SSCs. Following the discussions that ensued, the parties defined the broader scope of a possible technical support.
Against this backdrop, a scoping mission took place on 20-24 January 2020 in Dar Es Salaam, involving two experts of IIEP-Pôle de Dakar: Ibrahima Diallo, expert in integration and employment and Nicola Tissi, TVET expert.
The mission led to the identification of a technical assistance to the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation aimed at operationalising SSCs as platforms for private-public dialogue on skills development. During the mission, the team met a range of public and private sector actors. These consultations highlighted that the country is in dire need to upgrade its labour force, as developments in the economic sector outpace existing skills development systems.