In Zanzibar, many young people face challenges securing employment after graduation, as technical skills alone often do not lead to income-generating opportunities, particularly where business planning, financial literacy, and marketing knowledge are limited. To address this gap, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Vocational Training Authority Zanzibar (VTA) have partnered to integrate practical, workplace-relevant competencies into the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.
Through the Zanzibar Joint Programme (ZJP), the ILO is helping VTA institutionalize the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) methodology across the TVET system. A Training of Trainers (ToT) programme equips VTA trainers, cooperative representatives, and labour officials with internationally recognized tools to deliver structured entrepreneurship training. These trainers will embed SIYB content into more than 20 occupational curricula across five public and 50 private Vocational Training Centres, creating a multiplier effect as successive cohorts of learners receive certified entrepreneurship training.
The programme also links entrepreneurship training to broader enterprise support mechanisms, including cooperative formation and access to a revolving loan fund. This integrated approach helps graduates start businesses, formalize operations, and generate decent employment, strengthening business survival rates and supporting local economic development.
Aligned with national priorities, including President Hussein Ali Mwinyi’s goal of creating 350,000 new jobs by 2030, the partnership aims to institutionalize entrepreneurship in TVET while expanding sustainable self-employment opportunities for youth. By embedding entrepreneurship into vocational education, Zanzibar is fostering a future where certification translates into sustainable enterprises, decent jobs, and resilient local economies.
