Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - United Republic of Tanzania (Ratification: 1983)

Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. The Committee previously invited the Government to provide updated information on existing methods for developing comprehensive and coordinated policies and programmes of vocational guidance and training, indicating the manner in which they are linked to employment and to public employment service. It further requested the Government to indicate the manner in which the new system of competence based education and training adopted by the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) contributes to employment creation. The Government indicates that since the adoption of the Competence Based Education and Training (CBET) programme, in collaboration with stakeholders, the quality of vocational training has increased, particularly through strengthening the link between Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers and industries by introducing compulsory field (industrial) attachments to trainees enrolled in vocational training. The CBET has enabled the VET system to provide desired market-oriented competencies by introducing related and cross-cutting trades in addition to the core trades. The Government further indicates that the creation of modularized training has allowed vocational trainees to choose specific separate training units, according to the skills needed for employment instead of a full cycle of units. In this respect, a total of 4,691 candidates have been awarded modular vocational certificates. The Committee notes with interest that the CBET’s flexibility in terms of duration, entry qualifications, as well as entry and exit points to the labour market has provided a direct response to the country’s employment needs on the emerging skills required in the oil and gas sector, and has increased the VET graduates’ employability rates from 66.1 per cent in 2010 to 75 per cent in 2015. The Government indicates that the Tanzanian Technical Vocation and Educational Training (TVET) institutions have not only increased opportunities for productive work, but also provided employment for different categories of staff ranging from academics to auxiliaries. The Committee notes that by June 2019, the 540 TVET technical institutions were employing about 8,860 academic staff. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide up-to-date statistical information, disaggregated by sex, age and sector, on the impact of the policies and programmes related to vocational education and training, in particular, on the number of participants in the different programmes and in relation to participants’ access to lasting employment, especially in rural areas. The Committee also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures adopted or envisaged, in collaboration with the social partners, to broaden the vocational training systems in order to cover branches of economic activity that are not currently addressed and ensure that these systems are adapted to people’s changing needs throughout life, as well as to the current and forecasted requirements of the labour market and the various branches of economic activity.

Article 3. Coverage by the vocational training system of groups in vulnerable situations. The Committee previously invited the Government to provide information on the measures taken to increase gender-balanced access to education and training and to encourage women to develop and use their professional abilities in all branches of economic activity and at all levels of skill and responsibility. The Government was also requested to indicate the measures taken to promote access to education, training and lifelong learning for individuals with specific needs, such as young persons, rural workers, workers in the informal economy, and the other categories of persons in vulnerable situations. The Government indicates that the inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as female students and students with disabilities, in technical education and training has not increased in recent years. In this respect, the Committee notes that the enrolment of students in TVET institutions, accredited by the National Council for Technical Education (NACTE), decreased from 133,514 in 2017/2018 academic year to 113,427 (8 per cent) in 2018/2019. The number of female students also decreased from 61,671 in 2017/2018 to 56,052 (9 per cent) in 2018/2019 academic year. The enrolment of students with disabilities in TVET institutions accredited by NACTE decreased from 233 in 2017/2018 academic year to 132 (43 per cent) in 2018/2019 academic year. With regard to gender-balanced access to education and training, the Government indicates that as compared to 2012 when women made up to 41 per cent of VET enrolment, the number of female candidates decreased to 33 per cent in 2017. The decrease has partly been due to the introduction of the fee-free basic education policy, which has resulted in more students preferring to continue with lower secondary education instead of opting for vocational studies. The Government further indicates that it has developed gender guidelines to promote female enrolment in VET institutions and has provided support (mainly financial support) to public and private VET Centres offering programmes attracting female candidates with tailor-made programmes created for women (hairdressing and beauty). The Committee recalls that, in its 2012 General Survey, Giving Globalization a human face, it stressed that social stereotypes that deem certain types of work as suitable for men or women are likely to lead to unequal wages for men and women for work of equal value. Such stereotypes, based on traditional assumptions concerning gender roles in the labour market and in society, including those relating to family responsibilities, channel women and men into different education and training and subsequently into different jobs and career tracks, resulting in certain jobs being held almost exclusively by women, with “female jobs” being undervalued for purposes of wage rate determination (2012 General Survey, paragraph 713). With regard to groups in vulnerable situations, the Government indicates that various measures have been undertaken to improve their access to long-life learning. The Government has developed a Strategy for Inclusive Education to enhance educational services for children with special needs. The Strategy takes an inclusive approach to policy-making and service delivery planning, ensuring teaching and learning are accessible to all. In this respect, the Government have maintained subsidized tuition fees (120,000 Tanzanian shillings per year) and established different vocational programmes with different entry qualification requirements to offer access to candidates who have never attended any formal education. The Government has, in particular, provided support in terms of infrastructure and tools and equipment to offer training at affordable costs to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds and created new VET colleges in various districts and upgraded 54 Focal Development Colleges for effective provision of vocational training. The Committee notes that besides the National Strategy for Inclusive Education, other programmes such as the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) are designed to promote equal access to education to disadvantaged groups, such as youth. In this respect, the Government indicates that an Integrated Training for Entrepreneurship Promotion (INTEP) has been introduced to qualify specific target groups for self-employment. Between 2012 and 2018 a total of 11,151 young persons were awarded INTEP certificates. With regard to adults’ education, the Government indicates that private or non-government education provision has increased significantly in technical education, reaching 25 per cent, and the number of Private Folk and Vocational Centres have more than tripled since 2009. The Committee notes that currently the sector is being improved with the ongoing rehabilitation of the Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) and the construction of additional vocational education and training institutions at district and regional levels. With regard to workers in the informal economy, the Government indicates that the Tanzania National Employment Policy of 2008 sets targets for improving and transforming the informal sector through the creation of decent jobs and empowering informal sector operators. In order to meet this target, the Government has developed a framework through Recognition of Prior Learning Assessment (under its Competence Based Education and Training) to identify, assess and certify competencies acquired through informal and non-formal learning settings. The framework also aims to remove skills gaps and skills mismatches in order to create self-employment options for informally trained apprentices and improve the productivity of informal sector operators. The Committee notes that since the introduction of Dual Apprenticeship Training and Recognition of Prior Learning programmes in 2012, a total of 4,691 (4,214 men and 477 women) and 318 (196 men and 122 women) have been awarded Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) modular certificates and Dual Apprenticeship certificates, respectively. The Committee requests the Government to provide up-to-date, detailed information, including statistical information disaggregated by sex, age, and sectors of activity on the impact of measures implemented to promote women’s professional abilities and to increase gender balanced access and participation to vocational education and training. The Committee further requests the Government to continue to provide updated information on the manner in which it ensures that specific groups of workers who encounter difficulties in obtaining employment, such as young persons, persons with disabilities, rural workers and workers in the informal economy enjoy equal access to vocational guidance, education and training opportunities. In particular, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on measures taken or envisaged for the provision of vocational guidance, education and training that enables persons with disabilities to access the labour market, including in rural areas.

Article 5. Cooperation with the social partners. The Committee notes that the Government does not provide any information on consultations held with social partners. The Committee reiterates its request that the Government provides updated information on the measures adopted to ensure the collaboration of the social partners and other interested bodies in formulating and implementing education and training policies and programmes. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report a copy of such policies and programmes, if adopted and implemented.

COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee recalls the comprehensive guidance provided by international labour standards. In this regard, the Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation, 2017 (No. 205), which provides guidelines for developing and implementing effective, consensus-based and inclusive responses to the profound socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The Committee invites the Government to provide updated information in its next report on the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of the Convention.