Dual apprenticeship project shows promising progress at TBL

In a move to expand the scope of its corporate and social responsibilities in the country, Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) has reiterated its commitment to continue helping young Tanzanian professionals gain industrial hands on technical training skills in areas of engineering. Currently TBL is offering electrical installation training skills to five young artisans under the dual apprenticeship programme scheme initially piloted by the Dar es Salaam based Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA). The project aims at contributing towards improving the quality of vocation training by which young people are trained through a block release system allowing apprentices to spend different weeks of the month alternating between a training centre (classroom) and industry (workplace). TBL’s Human Resource Technical Training Manager, Goodluck Lusingu said in Dar es Salaam on Thursday this week that, since his company engaged in such skills training kit, it has demonstrated promising progress with artisans benefiting in the occupations of hands on industrial skills.  He said in an exclusive interview that, under the prograsmme TBL also offers incentives to their trainees such as free medical services, lunch and transport allowances as well as employment to those who performs well on their successful completion time. He said, this is a long term programme which is being run by the government through its vocational training institutions in collaboration with Hamburg Chamber of Skilled craft of Germany in the country since it was launched in July 2013. He said his company started artisan trainee programme and selects best students mostly with Certificates and Diplomas from engineering colleges and give them hands on skills to give them exposure with a view to master their engineering professional work.

Artisans acquiring skills under dual apprenticeship programme scheme.


However, he noted that, this is after having made an assessment and found out that most Tanzanian artisans who graduate from various engineering colleges in the country lack technical efficiency due to poor hands on skills. “This is a continuous partnership development scheme for capacity building on technical training skills TBL is spearheading this programme as part of the corporate social responsibility”, he affirmed. However, he noted that his company has so far helped about 120 artisans in another programme called “Engineering technology one” which was conducted at former Mbeya Institute of science and technology which has become a fully fledged University. Elaborating more about the programme he said that, throughout the training process they provide a working and learning environment in which the apprentices can practice and consolidate their skills acquired during their training in the classroom. The writer visited the TBL on Wednesday this week and managed to interview two of the trainee beneficiaries of the programme Maryamu Zayumba (20) and Salum Chipata (25) who both appreciated help offered to them by the TBL under the programme.  However, the TBL’s Public Communications Manager Edith Mushi said that, this is a continuous development programme which TBL has engaged with a view to help youths gain skills to enable them to practice and further their skills in all areas of the trade. She noted that, the intention of the TBL company is to see that dual apprenticeship training programme grows to become the mainstream mode of vocational education and training in Tanzania.

Mrema tells religious leaders to maintain peace

The National Chairman of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema has urged religious leaders to sensitize people to maintain peace and order in the country at this time when the nation is about to go for the general elections slated later in October this year. Mrema who is the current legislator for Vunjo constituency expressed his concern yesterday when he toured the office of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church for Dar es Salaam region Cardinal Polycarp Pengo to congratulate him on his stand in support of the proposed constitution draft. He said religious leaders have greater responsibilities of sensitizing their believers the importance of maintaining peace and order bearing the fact that many countries have been plunged into a political crisis at the time whenever they approach time for election due to hate speeches being uttered by politicians during the campaigns. Mrema who is also a politician, has flouted fellow politicians who have the habit of uttering hate speeches while knowing that such malpractices are likely to cause violence , instead are required to be in the forefront to proclaim peace and liberty in their speeches so as to avoid crisis that might cause political tension. “Tanzania belongs to citizens including politicians and incase anything goes wrong, politicians are to be blamed first because some of them are fond of uttering hate speeches as if are not Tanzanians”, he said. 

The National Chairman of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), Augustine Mrema 

 As concerns with the proposed constitution draft, the Vunjo legislator has requested all people to read it and understand the contents inside it so that when time for referendum comes, people should be in a position to make right judgment instead of being forced by some other groups. On his part, Pengo  said that he is optimistic that Tanzanians will read the draft and comprehensively understand it, then participate in the referendum polls. A month ago, the catholic Arch bishop Pengo advised fellow Christians not tom accept a joint agreement with his fellow bishops who had agreed and incited their believers to vote ‘NO’ for the proposed constitution. Cardinal Pengo was closing a training session for WAWATYA group members which took place at Saint Joseph church in Dar es Salaam. Pengo was on the view of the fact that, to make a judgment for catholic believers and other Christians was a positive distortion as though were not able to make own decisions. Earlier the Tanzania Episcopal Centre had wanted their believers to come up read the proposed constitutional draft later register themselves for the referendum pools so that when time for conduction polls they should vote for NO. A joint statement was signed by the Chairman of the Christian Community of Tanzania (CCT)  Bishop Alex Malasusa, the Chairman of the Episcopal Council of Tanzania (TEC) Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa and the Chairman of Pentecostal church of Tanzania (CPCT), Askofu Daniel Awet.

Struggle for job by yourself, Tanzanian youths told

FORMER Regional Commissioner retired army Colonel Joseph Simbakalia has called on youths in the country to understand in their minds the meager concept of the increased unemployment rate in the country instead of blaspheming the government’s failure to provide them with employment. Col. Simbakalia who is currently the Director General of the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) made a concern this week on Friday night during the award fiving ceremony that recognizes young aspiring professionals for their innovative work that benefit the community. This is an annual event which for this year being organized by a locally registered group known as Pro-active employment solutions by to motivate youths in five contesting categories. Going on its second year since its inception in early 2014, the event known as Tanzania Annual Young Professional Awards (TAYPA) were sponsored by 12 companies among them includes the Guardian and Nipashe newspapers and East Africa Radio all of the IPP Media group. During his speech, Col Simbakalia said that unemployment is not a Tanzanian issue but rather a global issue which is becoming more worse even in the developed countries in the world, a factor that youths should not have in mind that the government is able to control the phenomenon. Elaborating more on the matter, he gave an example saying that even if all employers in the country could take responsibility of employing every graduate in the country, still a great number of them would remain without employment because graduates are many than the number of job opportunities. “Unlike before university graduates were sure of securing top most job opportunities because of their fewness compared to the number of job opportunities which were many”, he said adding that youths should not directly blast the government over the issue.  

Former Regional Commissioner retired army Colonel Joseph Simbakalia, he is now the Director General of the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA)  

However, he suggested that, the government through private sector need to think on other modalities to help curb with the increased phenomena by allowing investments on the country’s natural resources instead of depending on people from Europe and USA to come and invest so that Tanzanians could be employed. Other challenges on the part of youths’ employment he noted that the gap of unemployment is widening due to the system of  education in the country which does not empower most graduates into becoming innovative and more inquisitive into creating own jobs. He further suggested that at the universities, the teaching methods should be changed in order to match with the current global situation. According to him, he noted that it was not fair to employ a graduate as a tutorial assistant and upgrade them up to the level of becoming professors. He said this is to make them not to have more practical experiences as they mainly deal with theoretical knowledge of reading books. According to his views, they could be allowed to practice at least five years hands on training skills to develop; their careers. Earlier, the Learning and Development Coordinator of the event for the firm Wastara Ally exclusively told the Guardian that, this year the TAYPA had introduced five contesting categories and the judges of the committee selected three nominees on each one of them. Elaborating about the awards, she said that the aim of TAYPA is to identify and endorse youth leaders and role models in the local job market and reward them for setting examples and blazing a trail for others to follow. “This platform provides a source of motivation for younger aspiring professionals whose ages range between n18 and 35 years. The platform recognizes their contributions and role to which they dedicate to work harder at achieving both their short and long term career objectives, goals and development”, she said. She named the shortlisted winners and their categories in brackets as Felix Manyogote (Sage category), Mohammed Jaffer (Trail Blazer), Robert Rukumai (Captain of industry, Lilian Makoyi (Pioneer category) and Sweetbert Soka (Alliance category).

WB group unveils spotting map for wind and solar investments potentials

TANZANIA is said to have larger atmospheric spaces whereby wind and solar sustainable renewable energy resources are potential enough for future power generation investments, the World Bank study report has revealed. The report which was unveiled yesterday in Dar es Salaam shows that almost the central part of the country and those of the southern highland regions are potentially viable for the investments of solar and wind renewable energy generation. This is the first phase project that aimed to assess and mapping the country’s main locations for renewable energy resources currently being undertaken by the World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP). Speaking to journalists after the initial inauguration of the report, the Managing Director of the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) Felchesmi Mramba said that, the assessment carried provides to the government and his firm clear information needed to strategically guide future viable developments that would lead to negotiate prices and take an account of environmental and social constraints. He said the map which shows solar isolation in different parts of the country will be a good guidance to all investors who are interested on investing in solar power projects with a view to speed up the expansion of sustainable power generation that would benefit the isolated rural community in the country. He said the second phase of the project which would soon start would involve identifying the costs of the renewable power generation, whereas the third one would enable the country embark on the actual investment whereby private sector would be involved to explore such business potentials in the country. 

However, when asked by this papers t to substantiate if there were any difficulties that stood as obstacles to the development of the renewable energy, he said that, the costs for running projects in the country are rather expensive. The yesterday’s inauguration of the study report was done in sidelines with the inauguration of solar monitoring station at Physics Department at the College of Natural and Applied Sciences of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The station helps to collect data from far flung areas to enable do a research activities at the university associated with the renewable energy power generation. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange Professor Cuthb ert Kimambo said that, his department is the leading centre which has been helping science students for the research activities on renewable energies since it was established as a faculty of the UDSM in 1976. HE said the machines placed at the building are very powerful and modern that enables to collect data on solar irradiance, and with these data a researcher becomes more specific been doing a research for design.  On his part, an Energy Specialist with the World Bank Anders Pedersen said that, the three phases of the projects that started in October 2014, would cost a whopping of $ 2.85 million on its completion. He said his organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with government of Tanzania which was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Energy and Minerals with a view to facilitate the move to save the ailing energy  sector in the country.

Labour ministry promises to facilitate registration of drivers’ trade union

In a bid to suppress any further attempt of drivers’ unexpected series of strikes in the country, the Ministry of Labor, Youths and Employment has pledged to facilitate the registration process of the up-country truck driver’s trade union under their association known in Swahili acronym as “Chamamata”. Labour Minister Gaudensia Kabaka made the declaration early this week in Dar es Salaam in a meeting with stakeholders and besieged truck drivers who had threatened to go on strike to immediately stop their plans as the ministry is currently working on their issue. News reports about the secretly planned drivers’ strike were earlier published by a weekly tabloid of the Guardian sister paper ‘Nipashe’ two weeks ago. The news contents in the  weekly edition quoted the drivers’ claims had it that they wanted the government to pressurize the office of the registrar of a trade union to give a full registration of the workers’ trade union which drivers had long been demanding for their association. The contents in the paper highlighted how strike had to be implemented as it could involve truck drivers who transport both imports and exports of goods like oil and foodstuffs and containers carrying industrial raw materials and construction equipments. The newspaper is quoted as saying that the drivers’ syndicate is said to have been disseminated through social media networks after stakeholders had noticed there were some sort of resentments shown by the registrar office of the trade union who don’t want drivers’  association registered. 

Minister for Labor, Youths and Employment Mrs. Gaudensia Kabaka 

 Such reports were spread among the stakeholders one week after passenger drivers ended a recent two day strike that shocked the nation in what seemed to be a lesson that drivers demonstrated to shame the government officials who do not want to settle down their queries. Elaborating more over the matter, Minister Kabaka has assured truck drivers to draw a little bit patience as their issue is on her table for clearance of their concern. “I besiege truck drivers to wait for a while as my office is collaborating with the registrar of trade unions in order to solve their queries”, she said and warned that having a series of strike is a loss to the nation bearing the fact that transport is a key sector that facilitate economy.  However, she has also advised drivers to form a single unified body that would be representing their queries to the government instead of having numerous drivers’ associations whose control becomes rather difficult. Two weeks ago, after the up-country passenger bus drivers’ went on strike, the government formed a thirteen person permanent committee to oversee at various concerns facing drivers in the country. The team members which is being led by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Dr. Shabaan Mwinjaka as a chair person is yet to reveal what is inside a nutshell that cause drivers to organize a series of strike despite of their regular demands of better working conditions. Minister for Transport, Samuel Sitta was quoted by the media as saying that the committee will be meeting frequently to discuss various concerns facing the drivers and come up with solutions.