VP urges technology institutes to produce skilled graduates

Vice President, Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal

With the advent of oil and gas exploration and investments in the country, the government has urged technological Institutes and Universities to produce skilled and competent graduates who will serve in the sector instead of depending on foreign experts. 

Vice President Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal made the call in Dar es Salaam over the weekend during the 7th graduation ceremony of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) in his speech read by the Minister for Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa.

He said highly skilled experts will also be needed in management, monitoring, supervision and construction of railways, ports, airports and other infrastructures following government’s plans to invest in infrastructures to speed up the growth of national economy.

“Following huge investments in oil, gas, and minerals, these areas need expertise to succeed,” he said. 

He also urged the Institute to take the many researches they have conducted to the market for public consumption. 

He hailed the progress made by the Institute over the years including expansion of courses, enrollment, improving its infrastructures.

“I congratulate you for working on developing Information and Technology (IT) centre, creativity in traffic lights, and telemedicine - a technological intervention in health care provision in various hospitals such as Muhimbili national hospital in Dar es Salaam and in Coast region and Mbeya referral hospitals,” he said.

For his part, DIT Principal, Prof John Kondoro said apart from introducing five new courses which started in 2013/14 academic year, in 2014/15 the Institute expects to introduce other three courses already accredited by NECTA which are Diploma in Food Science and Technology, Diploma in Biotechnology, and Diploma in Highway Engineering. 

He thanked the government, development partners and other stakeholders for their valuable support, saying they have enabled the Institute to establish new courses and fulfill its responsibilities.

Citing an example, he said there were a number of projects and courses jointly conducted by foreign institutes and Universities such as Masters Degree in Renewable Energy Engineering, a course prepared in collaboration with Kenya University, Mombasa Technical University, Jima University of Ethiopia and Politecnico di Milano of Italy.

Earlier, the Institute’s council Chairman, Prof Fredrick Mwanuzi said DIT will continue offering highly skilled courses because experience shows that there is a huge shortage of human resource in technological skills. 

During the graduation ceremony attended by government officials, Ambassadors, DIT officials and parents among many others, out of 682 all graduates, 176 were conferred with degrees in different engineering fields, 504 Diploma certificate, and two were awarded certificates. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN