ILO news (Dar es Salaam) The 52 Apprentices enrolled into the Zanzibar Quality Apprenticeship programme in August 2017 graduated at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) on 23 April 2019 after successfully completing their two years training course.  Out of the 52 graduates, 24 received a National Technical Award (NTA) Level Five Certificate in Front Desk Operations, 16 received a Certificate in Food Production and Bakery, and 12 in Housekeeping Operations. The graduates are set for more gainful employment as 33 of them have already secured employment at various hotels and resorts even before graduating. The SUZA Vice Chancellor Prof Idris Rai commended the ILO, government and programme partners for launching and implementing the first certified apprenticeship programme in Zanzibar.

 “The ILO Apprenticeship programme is helping us to train young men and women who want to join the tourism sector. As we know tourism is very important to our economic development and it is important for young people to gain the skills to work in this sector.” Rai said.

Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, the President of Zanzibar who is also the Chancellor of SUZA praised the program and awarded Apprentice Saada Mzee with the Vice Chancellor’s Prize for best overall student for all Certificate programmes for 2017/2018.

The programme is geared towards impact sustainability in order to provide skills for Zanzibar’s youth and enable them to compete in the changing world of work. Mr Jealous Chirove, ILO Employment Specialist, participating at the event on behalf of the Director for the ILO Office for Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, Mr. Wellington Chibebe, urged the new graduates to think about the future of work and continue to upgrade their skillsets in order to grasp new opportunities:

“The emphasis is on lifelong learning; we are looking for different ways to keep on supporting and training you but the responsibility is also on you to use the many online and other learning resources available for you…”

 With funding from the Government of Norway, the Quality Apprenticeship Programme in Hotel Operations was officially launched on 17 August 2017 and is the first apprenticeship certified programme to be approved by the National Council for Technical Education (NACTE) in Tanzania. The programme is being executed by the ILO in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Elders, Youth, Women and Children (MLEEYWC), the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (ZATI), Zanzibar Employers Association (ZANEMA) and Zanzibar Trade Union Congress (ZATUC). This is also the first time the State University of Zanzibar has recognized and issued certification to Apprentices and recognized apprenticeship as an accredited module of learning. The graduates will soon be replaced by a new stream of more than 150 apprentices expected to start training in early May 2019.