Factors Contributing to Lack of Employable Skills Among Technical and Vocational Education (Tvet) Graduates in Tanzania

Abstract

Currently, employers in Tanzania are seriously concerned about the lack of employable skills among technical education graduates given that they undergo Competency-Based Education and Training which exposes them to right knowledge, skills and attitude. This paper therefore explores factors contributing to lack of employable skills among Technical and Vocational Education graduates in Tanzania and recommend ways of training technical graduates who are more labour market responsive. The paper utilises Historical Dialectical Materialism approach, which suggests looking into the past and present in order to properly understand why contemporary technical education graduates lack employable skills and how to fix the problem. Drawing on secondary data and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders the findings show that lack of job competencies among graduates fundamentally emanates from poor training at primary and secondary levels resulting from incompetent teachers and inadequate facilities. The problem is further fuelled by ineffective curriculum, incompetent lecturers, less emphasis on general knowledge and skills as well as lack of career guidance at higher training levels. Furthermore, these weaknesses have been constantly fertilised by ineffective development as well as unfavourable educational policies and reforms. These factors should be holistically addressed in order to produce more labour market responsive TVET graduates. The paper makes several contributions. Policy wise, the paper contributes insights on how to promote employment through strengthening education system in Tanzania. On pedagogical strategies the paper sheds light on the ways in which instructors and institutions can be supported to equip students with more employable skills.

Influence of Academic Admission Qualifications on Student Skills Development in Public Technical Training Institutions in Kenya

“…Majority of the responses elucidated agree with the literature review findings that open admission policy is a challenge to skills development (Al-Saaideh, 2016;Doudou, 2018;Eicker et al, 2017;Munishi, 2016;Ringera, 2017). Therefore, another study will be required to verify the truthfulness of these findings.…”

“…This could mean that Kenya can succeed in skills training if such a strategy is applied at admission stage. Similarly, a study conducted by Munishi (2016) in Tanzania sought to establish factors contributing to lack of employable skills among technical graduates in Tanzania. Using the historical dialectical materialism approach, the study found out that weak primary and secondary school curriculum and admission of weak students to technical education programmes was the main course of skills gap in Tanzania.…”

Fostering Graduate Employability: Rethinking Tanzania’s University Practices

“…Further evidence indicates that each year, about 900,000 Tanzanian youth enter the job market, which creates only 50,000 to 60,000 jobs each year (Gregory, 2017) other words, in excess of 800,000 youth, including university graduates, remain jobless. Some scholars (e.g., Mwagonde, 2014) have contended that only 20% of university graduates in Tanzania find employment each year, and employers claim that university graduates lack relevant job competencies (Munishi & Emmanuel, 2016). This suggests an increasing unemployment rate in the country; however, Tanzania's official statistics indicate that the rate of unemployment has dropped slightly, falling from 10.3% in 2014 to 9.7% in 2018 (NBS, 2019).…”

Analyzing the Struggles of Students and Graduates of Technical and Vocational Education in Tanzania

“…Policywise, he contributes insights on promoting employment through strengthening the education system in Tanzania". On pedagogical strategies, Mushi sheds light on how instructors and institutions are often supported to equip students with more employable skills (Munishi, 2016).…”