The Elimu ya Ujasirinamali VETA (EUVETA) is a 4-year project (2005-2008). It is financed by Nuffic from the Netherlands and executed by the Morogoro Vocational Instructors Training College (MVITC), in partnership with FACET BV (lead agency) and the Turin-based ILO International Training Centre (ILO-ITC). FACET Consultants: Inge Heetvelt, Ton van der Krabben and Marjan Duursma.

The overall aim of the project is to “Build capacity for mainstreaming entrepreneurship in curricula of vocational education and training institutions in Tanzania”. Currently, Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) produce graduates with inadequate business skills and entrepreneurial minds. The project seeks to build the skills of VTC instructors in the teaching of practical business skills in order to enhance the self-employment capabilities of the VTC graduates. Tutors at the MVITC train the instructors of the VTC centres. Therefore the target group of the project includes both the instructors of the VTCs and MVITC staff.

• Development of an Entrepreneurship Education and Training (EET) curriculum for level 1 and level 2 trainees, implementation in seven pilot VTCs (Dar es Salaam, Kihonda, Dodoma, Iringa, Mbeya, Moshi, Tanga) and integration of this component in the national VETA-curricula;
• Developing distance learning/e-learning concepts and training tools as part of the EET programme;
• Organisational development of MVITC in relation to the EET programme.

After the project, a staged replication of the EET programme is foreseen, first to the remaining VETA-owned VTCs and later to other, non-VETA VTCs. A detailed replication strategy will be worded out in the course of 2007/2008.

The Curriculum Development Team (CDT), consisting of both local and international EET experts, develops the EET curriculum * . The main objectives of the EET programme are: • Unleash and develop entrepreneurial attitudes amongst VTC-trainees; • Create awareness of entrepreneurship as an alternative career option; • Develop and improve the business skills in order to be able to start a business after graduation.

Summary of activities so far and in progress:

• In 2005/2006, after an initial 6-month project inception period, the training manual for EET Module 1 was developed in both English and Swahili; • In 2006, 3 TOTs (on action learning methodology, the content of Module 1 and consolidation) were conducted, to train 3 instructors from each of the 7 pilot centres and 4 tutors from MVITC;
• March/April 2006: Start of implementation of Module 1 with 2 groups of 25 trainees in each of the seven pilot VTC, including ‘coaching on-the-job’ by the CD Team members;
• In August 2006, the experiences from the piloting of Module 1 were evaluated, and the process of the development of Module 2 was initiated;
• In October/November 2006, a first draft of the trainer’s manual for EET Module 2 will be developed. The first ToT for Module 2 will take place in December 2006, implementation in the 7 pilot VTCs will start in March 2007, with one group of 25 trainees each.
• EET Module 2 also includes a multi-media and Virtual Learning Environment component, which will be implemented in 2007.
• In 2007, additional ToTs will be organized in EET Module 1, to facilitate the roll-out of EET Module 1 to all level-1 trainees in the 7 pilot VTCs.

Trainees sharing their (overall very positive!) experiences with the new EET curriculum, during the Curriculum Development Team-meeting, August 2006Photo M. Duursma

* CDT: Mr. A. Maro, Off campus coordinator MVITC, Ms. Rehema Binamungu, Curriculum Devt. Specialist VETA HQ, Ms. Maria Ngowi, EET Coordinator DRVSTC, Ms. Inge Heetvelt, Mr. Ton van der Krabben and Mr. Chris Ndangala, consultants FACET BV and Mr. Dennis Maswabi, consultant ILO-ITC.