TANZANIA TOURISM TRAINING PROGRAMME (TTTP)

The Tanzania Tourism Training Programme aims to raise the standard of tourism education and training levels and increase training capacity to meet the current and future needs of the sector. The programme is financed by the European Commission on (EDF) and the Government of Tanzania, supervised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT).

The overall objective of the programme is to improve the tourism training standards in Tanzania in order to enhance the quality of services offered thus leading to further growth in the industry, increased earnings from tourism and employment hence contributing to poverty alleviation.

The TTTP project addresses the following areas:

• Increase the tourism and hospitality industries capacity to conduct in-service training through a national industry based Train the Trainer programme with skills up-grading to be presented in the main tourist centres of Tanzania by selected training centres and hotels.
• Upgrade teaching standards in tourism training institutes, in particular at the National College of Tourism, through a Teacher Development Programme,(TDP) currently under development and expected to begin implementation June 2008
• Development and introduction of a national curriculum for Tourism Studies that reflects national and international best practices. This will be introduced by the National College of Tourism (NCT). Curricula will meet the accreditation criteria set by NACTE as well as incorporate occupational standards developed in consultation with the hospitality industry.
• TTP will support NACTE and other accreditation bodies in developing accreditation policies for the national tourism curricula and for tourism training institutes
• TTP will establish institutional frameworks to ensure the sustainability of the project objectives

Development of Occupational Standards

Occupational standards were developed in Tanzania as part of the TTP Project in close consultation with private and public sector stakeholders. The standards are based on identified tasks from industry job descriptions and with expert assistance from industry supervisors and managers.  

What are Occupational Standards?

Occupational Standards describe the skills, knowledge and performance required of an individual to be considered competent in an occupation.

Who benefits from standards?

1. Industry Professionals

• Standards help identify career paths
• Standards enhance public and professional image
• Standards provide a basis for challenge, self-improvement and advancement
• Standards provide the basis for certification, based upon competent performance  

2. Employers and Owners

• Standards define areas where employees must be proficient, which assists in recruiting, training and development of staff
• Standards will provide employers and owners with a highly trained workforce, which can increase productivity and decrease costs incurred by high staff turnover, translating into an improved bottom line

3. Educators

• Standards provide the basis for curriculum and program development
• Standards identify areas where educational expertise is needed and applicable

4. Students

• Standards form the basis for curriculum in tourism programs and facilitate training to accepted industry levels.
• Standards help to promote the tourism industry as a viable and fulfilling career choice
• Standards clarify career options within the tourism industry

Industry based training based on Standards
Experienced staff can therefore quickly up-grade their skills to meet national criteria through being trained in the workplace and being assessed against the published national standard.

The Tour Guiding Industry
The development of a tour guide training programme (including national curriculum, certification, and training of trainers) begun in April 2008.

Zanzibar