Dar es Salaam. The Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Omar Kipanga and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Tanzania, Didier Chassot, on Friday launched the second phase of the Skills for Employment Tanzania project (SET II), a press release said.
The project aims to improve the chances of gainful youth (self-) employment in response to the youth employment challenges in Tanzania.
Funded by the Government of Switzerland, SET II is implemented by Swisscontact, a Swiss NGO, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and other public and private sector partners.
The project aims to reach over 10,000 youth and capacitate at least 300 non-formal Vocational Skills Development (VSD) teachers.
The total estimated budget for the project is Sh24 billion over an implementation period of four years (2022 – 2026).
During the launching ceremony, Mr Kipanga appreciated the cooperation with Switzerland and the provision of solid vocational education and training expertise.
He emphasised the importance of the project’s focus on jobs and self-employment opportunities in the informal sector and selected sectors of the economy, most notably the agriculture sector, where most jobs are and can be created.
Ambassador Chassot appreciated the long-standing cooperation between Switzerland and Tanzania and looks forward to supporting the SET project for another four years.
He underlined the immense potential of young people in Tanzania and the importance of equipping them with the right skills so that they are ready to join the labour market and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Tanzania.
The Swisscontact Country Director, Ms Sabine Roth, noted during her presentation that the support of SET II will focus on non-formal VSD as the vast majority of youth will work in the informal sector and will have to create livelihood through local self-employment.
The project contributes to improved non-formal Vocational Skills Development (VSD) for youth between 15 and 24 years, including young mothers, in Morogoro Region, with potential expansion to Iringa and Mbeya Regions.
