Tanzania: Gov’t in a move to boost ICT in vocational schools
The Director General of VETA, Eng Zebadiah Moshi had earlier told the minister that some 650,000 students apply to join vocational training at VETA and private institutions each year against a total capacity of just 120,000 students.
”This is a centre of its kind but only that the space here is limited.
”We should focus on the needs of our generation for the next 50 years and beyond. The facility is for the betterment of Tanzania as a country,” Dr Kawambwa said.
Upon its completion the facility will have a capacity to admit some 100 students, 20 in each of its five courses.
However, the minister urged the VETA management to increase the number from 20 to 30 for each of its programme.
”The demand for ICT specialists in Tanzania is very high. We should increase the intake to cope with the increasing demand,” he said.
The Kipawa centre is the only centre among the 22 VETA centres that will be offering only ICT courses. It will offer courses such as web designing and programming, automation, media design as well as PC maintenance and electronics.
Dr Kawambwa also hailed contractors and consultants of the project for implementing their tasks on time. Almost 95 per cent of the contraction work and installation of equipment has been completed.
Implementation of the project is part of financial support by the republic of Korea which will also cover Lindi, Coast and Manyara Regional Vocational Training Centres.
Under the deal signed in 2006, the Asian country offered US $18 million for construction of the four centres including equipment. The government of Tanzania contributed US $4 million for the projects which included purchase of equipment for the Kigoma centre.
Source: In2EastAfrica
