A rapid assessment of potential in Mtwara, Tanzania
In early 2008, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) sponsored a workshop in Tanzania to discuss the potential of formal and informal apprenticeships with the Government, workers’ and employers’ associations, and academic and development agencies. The debate confirmed the importance of apprenticeships in training young people, yet the knowledge about how to effectively strengthen apprenticeship systems were not fully understood. This led to an empirical study of more than 600 master crafts-persons and apprentices in the Lindi and Mtwara regions, Understanding Informal Apprenticeship in Tanzania (2009). Six skill areas were researched: car mechanics, electricians, carpentry/joinery, local arts, plumbing and tailoring. The selection of skill areas was based on their growth and labour absorbing potential for these two regions. The findings of this study highlighted the relatively high status of electricians, the required formal certification, and the benefits of informal apprenticeships that provide the basis for eventual self-employment. However, the constraints to expanding the numbers and levels of qualified electricians were not well understood.