Friday, August 05, 2016
On Tuesday, the 16th of August, 2016 STIPRO will be holding a roundtable discussion at the Tanzanite Conference Hall, Blue Pearl Hotel, Ubungo Plaza, in Dar es Salaam. The theme of the discussion is titled “Innovation for sustainable industrial development in Tanzania; do we have adequate human capital?.
As we may all be aware of, Tanzania is currently pursuing the industrialization agenda as one of the most effective way to achieve its development vision – Vision 2025, which envisions that by the year 2025 Tanzania be a semi industrialized and middle income country, with incidences of poverty significantly reduced. Very important in the process of industrialization is the role of innovation and technological capabilities. Innovation puts in the market new products and services, and improves the quality of existing products and services. It also makes production process more efficient. These outcomes of innovation are indispensable for competitiveness - both in the local and export markets.
There are a number of factors that facilitate innovative activities both at the firm and national levels in any country. While the major driving factor is having a good national systems of innovation, which will be consisting of a number of actors interacting and learning from each other to effect innovation, there are two major driving forces for innovation at the firm level: demand for innovative goods and services from the society in general on the one hand, and the availability of competent and skilled manpower, on the other hand. Skilled and competent manpower in this case refers to people with capabilities of generating knowledge; people who understand how things work and how ideas or technologies can be improved or applied for industrialization.
Although demand and market signals normally take an upper hand in triggering innovation, for innovation to actually happen, there has to be knowledgeable and skilled human power. However, as Tanzania is aggressively pursuing the industrialization agenda, the issues of availability of knowledgeable and skilled manpower seem to be in the dark, bringing to the fore some questions that beg immediate answers.
This Roundtable discussion will provide the forum to debate on the current level of availability and adequacy of skilled manpower as well as on the future needs in order to meet the requirements of the envisaged successful and efficient industrial development in Tanzania. It will bring together important stakeholders that include the private sector, training and research institutions as well as the government (policy makers) to brainstorm on this crucial issue of skills gap. It is intended to discuss the roles and contributions of the three major actors: the government in terms of policies and guidance, training and research institutions, and the private sector in the development of adequate and appropriate knowledgeable and skilled manpower for industrial development, and to chart on the way forward.
