It is estimated that 1 million young people in Tanzania leave the education system and enter into the labour market annually. It is expected that most of these youth will obtain labour opportunities in the private sector. To address this issue the Ministry of Education has developed the National Skills Development Strategy (2016-2021). The Strategy intends to increase the supply of skills for industries with potential for growth and job creation in the country. It targets 30,000 beneficiaries which include trainees enrolled in University, technical, vocational and alternative training programs in key economic sectors namely tourism and hospitality, agriculture, agribusiness and agro processing, transport and logistics, construction, information and communications technology and energy. The targeted sectors are in line with the priority sectors in this strategy. The programs that shall be undertaken to implement the strategy shall address the critical skills gaps in the targeted sectors with the aim of creating income opportunities, reducing poverty and building an industrialized economy.

Thorough studies should be undertaken in the key targeted sectors to identify the skills gaps so that relevant interventions could be undertaken to facilitate a majority of youth to be employable. More focus should be given on practical training and soft skills, improvement of infrastructure, change of curricular, development of apprenticeship, internship, placements, in house training programs to build skills of graduates and employees to enable them to be absorbed in the labour market.