THE DUAL APPRENTICESHIP PROJECT

The Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) and The Hamburg Chamber of Skilled Craft- Hamburg, Germany have joined forces to help Tanzania create a skilled labour force, and to provide young people easier access to the local labour market through Dual Apprenticeship programme.  The Dual Apprenticeship system is a block release training system whereby apprentices (trainees) spend different weeks of the year alternating between a training centre (VETA) and their workplaces.

The Dual Apprenticeship Training System is designed to help people, without previous training, to enter the job market as apprentices in a craft of their choice by signing Apprenticeship Contract with respective industries.

Dual Apprenticeship system of training was launched in February 2011 as a pilot project involving Electrical, Automotive and Hospitality occupations.  Apprentices in the electrical and automotive occupations are trained at VETA Dar es Salaam Regional Vocational Training and Service Centre while those of the hospitality occupation are trained in modernized facilities at VETA Moshi Regional Vocational Training and Service Centre.  

In this system, much emphasis is put at the workplace since the Apprentices can easily learn skills through repetition. Apart from exercising duties of their occupation at the industry, the young people are trained according to the cultural values and ethics of that particular industry.

At VETA Centres they are being properly showed how to do things correctly and safely.

In the nutshell dual apprenticeship process involves the following steps:

1.   The industry signs an MOU with VETA Centre;

2.   The industry recruits Apprentices by following guidelines provided by VETA;

3.   The Apprentices sign Apprenticeship contract with the Industry in concern;

4.   Apprentices submit Apprenticeship Contracts to VETA Centre for registration and starts Apprenticeship Training straight forward.

Block Release System

1st Block off the job Training	Industry On the job Training	2nd Block off the job Training	Industry On the Job Training	3rd Block off the Job Training	Industry On the Job Training	Total
7 weeks VETA	12 Weeks Industry	7 Weeks VETA	10 Weeks Industry	6 Weeks VETA	10 Weeks Industry	52 Weeks

Throughout the training process, employers provide a working and learning environment in which the apprentices can practice and consolidate their skills acquired during their training in the training centres. Employers also assign supervisors/mentors to monitor the training in the company, liaise with the training centres, and rotate apprentices through the different departments in the company to enable them to practice and further their skills in all areas of the trade.

Benefits of Dual Apprenticeship

Reducing mismatch between training and labour market needs: Working and training closely under qualified tradesmen ensures that the apprentices acquire skills levels that are actually needed in the labour market;

Assurance of availability of skilled labour:  The youth are trained mainly by the workplace for employment at the end of which industrial employers are assured of the availability of a skilled workforce with the required hands-on skills they are looking for;

Tackling youth unemployment: the system assures entry into the labour market for the young. It is in that way an effective steps in tackling youth unemployment;

Helps youth to gain professional soft skills: while being trained in the industry, apprentices also learn about company values and work ethics which will help them in their professional career at the same time that they provide companies with a reliable work force;

Enhancing productivity: the programme has potential of creating enough skilled labour force that will help to address the problem of scarcity of skilled labour in the industries thus enhance productivity.

Increase enrolment in VET Centres: the programme coordinated in blocks, therefore allow the centres to enrol new intake while other apprentices released to industries (on the job training).

Achievements

The project has managed to enroll two batches of apprentices from three different occupations namely, Automotive and Electrical trades and Hospitality stationed at VETA Dares Salaam ( DSM RVTSC) and VETA Moshi (Moshi RVTSC);

By May, 2015, 114 youths benefited from this new training system in the electrical, automotive and hospitality sectors: 48 apprentices in the first batch and 66 apprentices in the second batch.

The number of companies joining the programme increased from 18 companies last year to 33 companies in May, 2016.