Vocational Training Center
Tanzania
Bricklayer, carpenter, locksmith: craftspeople wanted!
Fit for the job with qualified vocational training
In the Simanjiro district south of Arusha, there are scarcely any trained skilled workers for the basic trades of bricklaying, carpentry and locksmithing. Therefore, for construction projects, expensive labour has to be hired from the surroundings of Arusha. At the same time, many school leavers in the region cannot find a job because they lack qualified vocational training as craftspeople. The consequences: rural exodus, unemployment and lack of development in the region.
This is where the Vocational Training Center for bricklayers, carpenters and locksmiths comes in. It is aimed at secondary school leavers. The goal is to each year offer 20 young people with a future perspective in the region. The two-to three-year training imparts craft skills and pursues a dual approach, so that practical training on construction projects takes place on site. Final examinations are held every year – and anyone who fails to qualify for the third year after two years of training, can then finish their training with a lower qualification.
Together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the non-profit organisations ECLAT and Upendo e.V., the DER Touristik Foundation has financed the Vocational Training Center for craftsmanship. It was officially opened on 26 November 2021, and handed over to the Tanzanian education authority VETA.
In addition to classrooms and dormitories, a kitchen, dining hall, toilets, water and electricity supply, it also has a fully equipped workshop. The personnel for training apprentices were trained in woodwork and metalwork. Since October 2021, trainees have been placed with relevant companies for eight weeks as part of the practical phase of their dual training. There are also training aids for aspiring bricklayers.
ECLAT Development Foundation
Since its founding in 2008, ECLAT as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation has been committed to improving life in poor communities in Tanzania. Its focus is on the district of Simanjiro in the Manyara region of North-eastern Tanzania. More recently, ECLAT extended its sphere of activity to other parts of the country, in order to reach more people in need. Its activities range from supplying people with clean water to building educational institutions through to economically empowering women.
Upendo – Verein zur Förderung von Entwicklungsprojekten in Afrika e.V.
The association promotes development cooperation at local level in Africa, and in Tanzania in particular. Project work is carried out in close cooperation and coordination with the Tanzanian government.