Securing employment after graduation remains a persistent challenge for many young people in Zanzibar. Technical proficiency alone has not consistently translated into income-generating opportunities, particularly where business planning, financial literacy, and marketing skills are limited. A joint initiative between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Vocational Training Authority Zanzibar (VTA) is addressing this structural gap by embedding practical workplace required competencies within the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.
Through the Zanzibar Joint Programme (ZJP), the ILO is supporting VTA to institutionalize the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) methodology across Zanzibar's TVET system. Through a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme, VTA trainers, cooperative representatives, and labour officials are being equipped with internationally recognized tools to deliver structured, high-quality entrepreneurship training. These trainers will integrate structured entrepreneurship content into more than 20 occupational curricula delivered across five public and 50 private Vocational Training Centres (VTCs). Embedding SIYB within this system creates a multiplier effect, enabling certified trainers to cascade entrepreneurship training to successive cohorts of learners across Zanzibar.
Importantly, the programme connects entrepreneurship training with broader enterprise support mechanisms. VTA's ongoing initiatives, including cooperative formation and access to a revolving loan fund, provide graduates with pathways to start businesses, formalize operations, and generate decent employment. This integrated approach strengthens business survival rates and promotes local economic development.
The initiative aligns with national employment priorities of President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, whose administration has set a target of creating 350,000 new jobs by 2030. The partnership between ILO and VTA will facilitate institutionalizing entrepreneurship across the TVET system and linking skills development to expanding sustainable self-employment opportunities, especially for youth.
By embedding entrepreneurship at the heart of vocational education, Zanzibar is moving toward a future where vocational education leads not only to certification but translates into sustainable enterprises, creating decent jobs and resilient local economies.
