Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector

We examine the question of workforce skills for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania and find a mixed picture full of potential. On the one hand, education access has expanded at all levels and a more educated cohort is now entering the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sabarwal, Shwetlena
Format: Policy Note
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:
GER
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/07/19799989/tanzania-skills-competitiveness-small-medium-enterprise-sector
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20127
id okr-10986-20127
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCESS TO EDUCATION
ACCESS TO PRIMARY EDUCATION
ADULTS
APTITUDES
BASIC EDUCATION
BASIC EDUCATION STATISTICS
BASIC SKILLS
BULLETIN
CALL
CLASSROOM
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
COGNITIVE SKILLS
COLLEGE DEGREE
COUNSELING
CREATIVE THINKING
CURRICULA
CURRICULUM
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISTANCE LEARNING
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION
EDUCATED WORKERS
EDUCATION ATTAINMENT
EDUCATION ECONOMICS
EDUCATION EXPANSION
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
EDUCATION LEVEL
EDUCATION POLICIES
EDUCATION PROVIDERS
EDUCATION QUALITY
EDUCATION SECTOR
EDUCATION SYSTEMS
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
EDUCATIONAL INVESTMENTS
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING
ETHICS
EXAM
EXAMS
FAMILY MEMBERS
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
FORMAL EDUCATION
FORMAL TRAINING
GENERAL EDUCATION
GER
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
GROSS ENROLLMENT
GROSS ENROLLMENT RATE
GROSS ENROLLMENT RATES
GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO
HIGH RATES OF TEACHER ABSENTEEISM
HIGHER EDUCATION
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT OF EDUCATION
INFORMED CHOICES
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION
INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
INTERNSHIPS
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
JOB TRAINING
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOR SUPPLY
LABOUR MARKET
LACK OF INFORMATION
LEARNING
LEARNING MATERIALS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
LEVEL OF EDUCATION
LEVELS OF EDUCATION
LIFE SKILLS
LITERACY
LITERACY SKILLS
LOWER LEVELS OF EDUCATION
MATHEMATICS
MINORITY
MOBILITY
MOTHER
NUMBER OF PEOPLE
NUMERACY
NUTRITION
OCCUPATIONS
ONLINE COURSES
PAPERS
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
PERSONALITY
POLICY MAKERS
POOR NUTRITION
POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY DATA
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY GROSS ENROLLMENT
PRIMARY GROSS ENROLLMENT RATE
PRIMARY LEVEL
PRIMARY LEVELS
PRIMARY SCHOOL
PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
PROBLEM SOLVING
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PROVISION OF SERVICES
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC SCHOOL
PUPILS
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
QUALITY PRIMARY EDUCATION
QUESTIONING
READING
RESPECT
RETURNS TO EDUCATION
SAFETY NET
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
SCHOOL DAY
SCHOOL LEVEL
SCHOOLING
SCHOOLS
SECONDARY EDUCATION
SECONDARY SCHOOL
SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
SELF-ESTEEM
SERVICE DELIVERY
SERVICE PROVIDERS
SERVICE PROVISION
SKILL ACQUISITION
SKILL LEVEL
SKILL-DEVELOPMENT
SKILLED STAFF
SKILLED WORKERS
SKILLED WORKFORCE
SKILLS ACQUISITION
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
SKILLS TRAINING
SMALL ENTERPRISES
SOCIAL SKILLS
SPONSORS
STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
STUDENT ENROLLMENT
TEACHER
TEACHER ABSENTEEISM
TEACHER MOTIVATION
TEACHER PAY
TEACHERS
TEACHING
TEACHING MATERIALS
TECHNICAL COLLEGES
TECHNICAL EDUCATION
TECHNICAL SKILLS
TECHNICAL TRAINING
TERTIARY EDUCATION
TEST SCORES
TEXTBOOKS
TRAINEES
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
TRAINING PROGRAMS
TRAINING SERVICES
TRANSPORTATION
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
UNMET DEMANDS
URBAN AREAS
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
WORKING POPULATION
YOUNG PEOPLE
YOUTH
spellingShingle ACCESS TO EDUCATION
ACCESS TO PRIMARY EDUCATION
ADULTS
APTITUDES
BASIC EDUCATION
BASIC EDUCATION STATISTICS
BASIC SKILLS
BULLETIN
CALL
CLASSROOM
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
COGNITIVE SKILLS
COLLEGE DEGREE
COUNSELING
CREATIVE THINKING
CURRICULA
CURRICULUM
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISTANCE LEARNING
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION
EDUCATED WORKERS
EDUCATION ATTAINMENT
EDUCATION ECONOMICS
EDUCATION EXPANSION
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
EDUCATION LEVEL
EDUCATION POLICIES
EDUCATION PROVIDERS
EDUCATION QUALITY
EDUCATION SECTOR
EDUCATION SYSTEMS
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
EDUCATIONAL INVESTMENTS
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING
ETHICS
EXAM
EXAMS
FAMILY MEMBERS
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
FORMAL EDUCATION
FORMAL TRAINING
GENERAL EDUCATION
GER
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
GROSS ENROLLMENT
GROSS ENROLLMENT RATE
GROSS ENROLLMENT RATES
GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO
HIGH RATES OF TEACHER ABSENTEEISM
HIGHER EDUCATION
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
IMPACT OF EDUCATION
INFORMED CHOICES
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION
INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
INTERNSHIPS
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
JOB TRAINING
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOR SUPPLY
LABOUR MARKET
LACK OF INFORMATION
LEARNING
LEARNING MATERIALS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
LEVEL OF EDUCATION
LEVELS OF EDUCATION
LIFE SKILLS
LITERACY
LITERACY SKILLS
LOWER LEVELS OF EDUCATION
MATHEMATICS
MINORITY
MOBILITY
MOTHER
NUMBER OF PEOPLE
NUMERACY
NUTRITION
OCCUPATIONS
ONLINE COURSES
PAPERS
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
PERSONALITY
POLICY MAKERS
POOR NUTRITION
POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY DATA
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY GROSS ENROLLMENT
PRIMARY GROSS ENROLLMENT RATE
PRIMARY LEVEL
PRIMARY LEVELS
PRIMARY SCHOOL
PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
PROBLEM SOLVING
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PROVISION OF SERVICES
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
PUBLIC SCHOOL
PUPILS
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
QUALITY PRIMARY EDUCATION
QUESTIONING
READING
RESPECT
RETURNS TO EDUCATION
SAFETY NET
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
SCHOOL DAY
SCHOOL LEVEL
SCHOOLING
SCHOOLS
SECONDARY EDUCATION
SECONDARY SCHOOL
SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
SELF-ESTEEM
SERVICE DELIVERY
SERVICE PROVIDERS
SERVICE PROVISION
SKILL ACQUISITION
SKILL LEVEL
SKILL-DEVELOPMENT
SKILLED STAFF
SKILLED WORKERS
SKILLED WORKFORCE
SKILLS ACQUISITION
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
SKILLS TRAINING
SMALL ENTERPRISES
SOCIAL SKILLS
SPONSORS
STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
STUDENT ENROLLMENT
TEACHER
TEACHER ABSENTEEISM
TEACHER MOTIVATION
TEACHER PAY
TEACHERS
TEACHING
TEACHING MATERIALS
TECHNICAL COLLEGES
TECHNICAL EDUCATION
TECHNICAL SKILLS
TECHNICAL TRAINING
TERTIARY EDUCATION
TEST SCORES
TEXTBOOKS
TRAINEES
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
TRAINING PROGRAMS
TRAINING SERVICES
TRANSPORTATION
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
UNMET DEMANDS
URBAN AREAS
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
WORKING POPULATION
YOUNG PEOPLE
YOUTH
Sabarwal, Shwetlena
Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector
geographic_facet Africa
Tanzania
description We examine the question of workforce skills for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania and find a mixed picture full of potential. On the one hand, education access has expanded at all levels and a more educated cohort is now entering the labor market - signaling the availability of a more skilled workforce for SMEs. On the other hand, acute shortages of secondary and postsecondary graduates persist. Disturbingly, the quality and relevance of primary education has come into question. It is unclear whether increased access to primary education is actually translating into acquisition of crucial basic skills in the country. In light of this, it is unsurprising that education attainment no longer appears to be a reliable proxy for relevant skills, as perceived by employers. Further, SMEs seem to have very little meaningful connection with education institutions for recruitment of workers. A related but equally concerning problem relates to the culture of recruitment among SMEs in Tanzania. It is one of passive hiring, wherein firms rely on networks and referrals to identify employees instead of actively seeking them through open advertising and links with education providers. In this backdrop there is room for cautious optimism. SMEs seem increasingly to realize and emphasize the importance of workforce skills, even though, in relative terms, they are likely to be significantly more pre-occupied with infrastructure constraints. Interestingly, a large share of firms that have recently failed consider inadequate workforce skills to be a contributing factor of above average importance to firm failure.
format Economic & Sector Work :: Policy Note
author Sabarwal, Shwetlena
author_facet Sabarwal, Shwetlena
author_sort Sabarwal, Shwetlena
title Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector
title_short Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector
title_full Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector
title_fullStr Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector
title_full_unstemmed Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector
title_sort tanzania skills for competitiveness in the small and medium enterprise sector
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2014
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/07/19799989/tanzania-skills-competitiveness-small-medium-enterprise-sector
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20127
_version_ 1764444404249001984
spelling okr-10986-201272021-04-23T14:03:53Z Tanzania Skills for Competitiveness in the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector Sabarwal, Shwetlena ACCESS TO EDUCATION ACCESS TO PRIMARY EDUCATION ADULTS APTITUDES BASIC EDUCATION BASIC EDUCATION STATISTICS BASIC SKILLS BULLETIN CALL CLASSROOM COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT COGNITIVE SKILLS COLLEGE DEGREE COUNSELING CREATIVE THINKING CURRICULA CURRICULUM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DISTANCE LEARNING EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION EDUCATED WORKERS EDUCATION ATTAINMENT EDUCATION ECONOMICS EDUCATION EXPANSION EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS EDUCATION LEVEL EDUCATION POLICIES EDUCATION PROVIDERS EDUCATION QUALITY EDUCATION SECTOR EDUCATION SYSTEMS EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS EDUCATIONAL INVESTMENTS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING ETHICS EXAM EXAMS FAMILY MEMBERS FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS FORMAL EDUCATION FORMAL TRAINING GENERAL EDUCATION GER GOVERNMENT POLICIES GROSS ENROLLMENT GROSS ENROLLMENT RATE GROSS ENROLLMENT RATES GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO HIGH RATES OF TEACHER ABSENTEEISM HIGHER EDUCATION HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IMPACT OF EDUCATION INFORMED CHOICES INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION INTERNATIONAL TRENDS INTERNSHIPS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION JOB OPPORTUNITIES JOB TRAINING LABOR FORCE LABOR MARKET LABOR MARKETS LABOR SUPPLY LABOUR MARKET LACK OF INFORMATION LEARNING LEARNING MATERIALS LEARNING OUTCOMES LEVEL OF EDUCATION LEVELS OF EDUCATION LIFE SKILLS LITERACY LITERACY SKILLS LOWER LEVELS OF EDUCATION MATHEMATICS MINORITY MOBILITY MOTHER NUMBER OF PEOPLE NUMERACY NUTRITION OCCUPATIONS ONLINE COURSES PAPERS PERFORMANCE INDICATORS PERSONALITY POLICY MAKERS POOR NUTRITION POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY DATA PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIMARY GROSS ENROLLMENT PRIMARY GROSS ENROLLMENT RATE PRIMARY LEVEL PRIMARY LEVELS PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS PRIMARY SCHOOLS PROBLEM SOLVING PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVISION OF SERVICES PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS QUALITY OF EDUCATION QUALITY PRIMARY EDUCATION QUESTIONING READING RESPECT RETURNS TO EDUCATION SAFETY NET SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SCHOOL DAY SCHOOL LEVEL SCHOOLING SCHOOLS SECONDARY EDUCATION SECONDARY SCHOOL SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL SECONDARY SCHOOLS SELF-ESTEEM SERVICE DELIVERY SERVICE PROVIDERS SERVICE PROVISION SKILL ACQUISITION SKILL LEVEL SKILL-DEVELOPMENT SKILLED STAFF SKILLED WORKERS SKILLED WORKFORCE SKILLS ACQUISITION SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SKILLS TRAINING SMALL ENTERPRISES SOCIAL SKILLS SPONSORS STUDENT ASSESSMENTS STUDENT ENROLLMENT TEACHER TEACHER ABSENTEEISM TEACHER MOTIVATION TEACHER PAY TEACHERS TEACHING TEACHING MATERIALS TECHNICAL COLLEGES TECHNICAL EDUCATION TECHNICAL SKILLS TECHNICAL TRAINING TERTIARY EDUCATION TEST SCORES TEXTBOOKS TRAINEES TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING PROGRAMS TRAINING SERVICES TRANSPORTATION UNEMPLOYMENT UNIVERSITY EDUCATION UNMET DEMANDS URBAN AREAS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION VOCATIONAL SCHOOL VOCATIONAL TRAINING WORKING POPULATION YOUNG PEOPLE YOUTH We examine the question of workforce skills for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania and find a mixed picture full of potential. On the one hand, education access has expanded at all levels and a more educated cohort is now entering the labor market - signaling the availability of a more skilled workforce for SMEs. On the other hand, acute shortages of secondary and postsecondary graduates persist. Disturbingly, the quality and relevance of primary education has come into question. It is unclear whether increased access to primary education is actually translating into acquisition of crucial basic skills in the country. In light of this, it is unsurprising that education attainment no longer appears to be a reliable proxy for relevant skills, as perceived by employers. Further, SMEs seem to have very little meaningful connection with education institutions for recruitment of workers. A related but equally concerning problem relates to the culture of recruitment among SMEs in Tanzania. It is one of passive hiring, wherein firms rely on networks and referrals to identify employees instead of actively seeking them through open advertising and links with education providers. In this backdrop there is room for cautious optimism. SMEs seem increasingly to realize and emphasize the importance of workforce skills, even though, in relative terms, they are likely to be significantly more pre-occupied with infrastructure constraints. Interestingly, a large share of firms that have recently failed consider inadequate workforce skills to be a contributing factor of above average importance to firm failure. 2014-09-15T20:16:06Z 2014-09-15T20:16:06Z 2013-07 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/07/19799989/tanzania-skills-competitiveness-small-medium-enterprise-sector http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20127 English en_US CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Economic & Sector Work :: Policy Note Africa Tanzania