Tanzania

Despite impressive development and social welfare improvements, Tanzania continues to face considerable development challenges in economic distribution, population growth, unemployment, and education. The high unemployment rate is attributed to limited access to skills training, low enrolment into TVET institutions and a mismatch between available skills and the labour market needs. The Tanzanian Government has taken steps to decrease the skills gap. It has launched a Technical and Vocational Education and Training department and adopted an Education-Employment Link framework which will connect people who have completed their studies with available jobs.   

There are over 100 different languages spoken in Tanzania, making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa. Swahili is the national language, while the official language is English, resulting in a discrepancy between labour demands and available soft skills.
 
TANZANIA

facts and Figures

  • Area: 945,087 km²
  • Population: 61 million
  • Administrative Capital: Dodoma
  • Commercial Capital: Dar es Salaam

Swisscontact in Tanzania

  • Since 1979

Projects

2023 - 2027
Tanzania
Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion
EmpowerHER through Skills
In close collaboration with the private sector and local communities, this project offers non-formal vocational skills to empower marginalized young mothers and connect them with entrepreneurial opportunities that help them access (self-) employment and generate income for themselves and their families.  
2022 - 2026
Tanzania
Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion
Skills for Employment Tanzania

The Skills for Employment Tanzania (SET) Project seeks to improve self-employment prospects among the youth through the contribution to improved access, relevance and quality of vocational skills development.
Youth have difficulty finding employment due to limited access to skills training and a mismatch between available skills training and the...

News

Tanzania
Initial vocational education and training
09.05.2025
“Even My Family Has Benefited”: How Skills Training Turned Alex’s Life Around in Rural Tanzania
Gairo, Tanzania — “I used to work as cheap labor, making bricks. Now I run my own farm and even opened a football-viewing kiosk in my village.”
Tanzania
Initial vocational education and training
09.05.2025
“No Turning Back”: How Food Processing Skills Helped Faudhia Rewrite Her Future
Morogoro, Tanzania — “Before the training, I had nothing. Now, I’m harvesting eggplants, running a business, and planning to open a shop. The future is bright — not just for me, but for my children.”
Tanzania
Initial vocational education and training
09.05.2025
“From 50 Chicks to Big Dreams”: How Ntelindwa’s Poultry Skills Are Hatching a Brighter Future
Gairo, Tanzania — “This has been my dream, and now I feel confident about achieving it.”
Country Director
Sabine Renggli

APPROACH

Swisscontact works in Tanzania as a facilitator in skills development to complement government efforts in youth empowerment.  

Economic, social, and academically disadvantaged youth are supported through tailor-made training opportunities to increase their employment chances and entrepreneurship opportunities. Projects are guided by a unique youth and market-driven learning group model, which is focused on three broad and fast-growing sectors. These are agribusiness, construction, and hospitality, which require more locally skilled personnel to meet demand and enhance growth.  

The Skills for Employment project employs an Inclusive Markets system approach which explores the limits and opportunities in-built in the existing Technical and Vocational Education Training system. The project seeks to improve the prospects of self-employment among the youth through a sustainable and systemic contribution to improved access, relevance, and quality of vocational skills development.  

Since ownership is critical for sustainability, our projects apply a participatory approach which involves joint action planning with all partners. Both strategic and implementing partners drive systemic change and act as multipliers to improve the system. 

2022 - 2026
Tanzania
Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion
Skills for Employment Tanzania

The Skills for Employment Tanzania (SET) Project seeks to improve self-employment prospects among the youth through the contribution to improved access, relevance and quality of vocational skills development.
Youth have difficulty finding employment due to limited access to skills training and a mismatch between available skills training and the...
Taka ni Mali - Waste is Wealth
The Taka ni Mali project contributed to adequate employment opportunities in solid waste collection and recycling, while reducing environmental degradation and health risks through efficient and sustainable solid waste management systems.
Jobs
The objective of Swisscontact’s work is to open up pathways out of poverty for people in developing countries through broad-based economic development projects.

Motivated and productive employees with initiative constitute the most important success factor in all areas of our work. We count on motivated individuals who are looking to the future, impact- and team-oriented, and want to work in international development cooperation.

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Contact

Swisscontact Tanzania
Plot no. 105, Pamba Street
P.O. Box 48, Morogoro
Tanzania