By Juma Magambo

DIT Mwanza in Tanzania is committed to achieving academic excellence through building and nurturing relationships with other non-project national TVET Institutes. This commitment is aimed at connecting our on-campus learning with the real needs of other TVET institutions. Under the EASTRIP Project, the centre is working with two training institutions along the Leather value chain regulated by Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA). The two institutions are VETA Dodoma and VETA Dakawa found in Dodoma and Morogoro regions respectively. VETA Dodoma offers training in meat processing while the Dakawa Vocational Training Centre offers footwear and leather goods training programmes.

In formalizing collaboration between DIT and VETA, MoU was signed in year 2019, which has not only ensured that strong links and collaborations between DIT Mwanza and VETA are in place but also helped DIT Mwanza Campus to achieve the EASTRIP Disbursement Linked Results (DLR).

As part of MoU implementation, several meetings between DIT Mwanza Campus and VETA, especially VETA Dakawa and VETA Dodoma were held to develop MoU implementation plans and strategies. One of the meetings was conducted at DIT Mwanza Campus where VETA Management Team visited the Mwanza campus for familiarization and discussions on proper implementation of the planned activities. Other meetings were conducted when DIT Mwanza Management Team paid VETA Dakawa and Dodoma visits for further discussions.

The collaboration between DIT and VETA will greatly benefit both parties in many ways. Firstly, the two selected VETA centres will be equipped with teaching materials and up-to-date training equipment for the selected programmes. In addition, the selected Teaching Staff of the two centres will receive relevant competence-based trainings in leather related programmes. This will enhance the skills and competence of VETA graduates to enable them to address the needs of the leather industries in Tanzania and East Africa Region. DIT Mwanza will also help VETA to review and improve their NVA level III leather programmes.

DIT Mwanza Campus will also benefit from the partnership as the leather and leather NVA III graduates from VETA may join leather and related ordinary diplomas programmes at DIT Mwanza which will boost student enrolment at the Campus. Similarly, VETA Dakawa and Dodoma will provide opportunities for employment of DIT Mwanza graduates as technical teachers, technicians or in other positions thereby increasing the employment rate of DIT Mwanza graduates.

As part of implementation of MoU and EASTRIP, Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), DIT Mwanza campus has started offering capacity building to VETA staff, where in 2020 one teaching staff from VETA Dodoma received short term training at DIT Mwanza Campus in Leather Processing and Leather Products making. DIT Mwanza campus has also procured and delivered to VETA Dakawa the first Batch of teaching materials to allow them start offering foot wear and Leather Goods NVA III programme. Thus, in a year or so, DIT Mwanza Campus will start receiving students from VETA in its Leather programmes.

Collaborations among TVET institutions will help DIT to sustain programs and improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of TVET education in Tanzania and the East Africa region.

The writer is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at DIT Mwanza.