VETA AND CBET AS NEW TRAINING APPROACH

MORE than 30 vocational teachers from various vocational training

centers from Iringa and Ruvuma regions in the Highlands Zone are

undergoing a two-week capacity building workshop of using the new

training approach called CBET, in the on-going workshop.

According to the Vocational Training Centers Coordinator for Highlands

Zone, John Mwanja, the workshop is aimed at building capacity and

empowering teachers in the Vocational Education Training centers to

cope with the new training approach dubbed as ‘Competent Based

Education and Training - CBET’.

Competence Based Education and Training is defined as the possession

and development of sufficient skills, knowledge and appropriate

attitudes and experience for a successful performance in life roles.

He told the Guardian during an exclusive interview yesterday that the

new training approach with revised curriculum, if well implemented it

will be more fruitful as compared to the old one, because it will give

room to students in the Vet centers to progress from one stage to

another.

“In vocational training we consider competence as a subset of

competence and includes knowledge, understanding, skills, tasks,

attitude, experience and roles," said Mwanja.

"The new training approach is a new development that will give room

for progression path for students in VET centers to advance from one

stage to another, which is after obtaining a level three certificate, a

student can go on to acquire for the diploma level from other

colleges that provide such kind of programs,” said Mwanja.

This is second seminar to be conducted in the highlands zone, the

first one was conducted in Njombe District in Iringa Region which

involved at least 53 vocational teachers.

Recently, Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) has

introduced a new training approach to be implemented in all Vet

centers in the country, in order to improve the training standard in

the VTCs, hence competitive labour market.

This is new reform which has done by VETA to improve teaching

qualities and standard in vocational training centers to be

productive, hence preparing and equip VET graduates to be competent

enough on the international labor market.

"As the country is coming into the East African Community we need our

people to be more competent enough to face the challenges brought by

competitive labor market."

However, Mwanja said the implementation of the new curriculum has

brought a lot challenges in some various Vet centers including low

qualified teachers who teaching in these vocational training centers,

but the new curriculum need at least a teacher to have a minimal of

diploma and students joining these centers to have Form Four Leaving

Certificate.

Previously the VTCs were taking Standard Seven pupils after they have

finished their primary level of education, which is gradually phasing

out them from the system in the near future.

He added that due to mushrooming of VTC centers, which is emerging

everyday in the country, most of them have employed unqualified staff

hence challenges in implementing of the new curriculum in the

vocational training centers.

Competence Based Education and Training is defined as the possession

and development of sufficient skills, knowledge and appropriate

attitudes and experience for a successful performance in life roles.

Walimu 38 wa Vyuo Vya Ufundi Stadi wa Nyanda za Juu (Iringa na Ruvuma) wakiwa katika picha baada ya semina ya wiki mbili kuhusu utekelezaji wa mfumo mpya wa mafunzo ‘Competence Based Education and Training ’ (CBET) iliyofanyika hapa Peramiho. Walioketi kutoka kushoto ni Mwezeshaji CBET, Pius Charles, Mratibu wa Vyuo vya ufundi wa VETA Kanda za Nyanda za Juu, John Mwanja, Mkuu wa Chuo cha VETA Songea, Gideon Ole Lairumbe, Mkuu wa Chuo Peramiho VTC, Bro. Joseph Mukasa na Mwezeshaji CBET, Timoth Mpembee tarehe 15.08.2011.