The Impact Of Vocation Training Centers (Vtcs) On Improving Youth Livelihood In Dodoma Municipality: The Case Of Five Selected Vtcs

ABSTRACT

The study on impact of Vocation Training Centers (VTCs) on improving youth livelihood was conducted in Dodoma Municipality. Generally the study aimed at assessing the relevance of vocational education training centers in improving youth livelihood; specifically intended to: identify skills acquired by youth through vocational education training, determine the teachers qualifications and its effects on the teaching of practical skills, examine the contribution of vocational training skills in creating selfemployment and livelihood promotion among VTCs graduates. The study has used cross sectional research design. A sample of 60 respondents was drawn from the selected five VTCs. The study used both probability and non probability sampling procedures. Data analysis was based on descriptive statistics using Statistics Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel to form frequencies and percentages of the findings. The study has found that most of the youth have acquired skills on carpentry, catering, tailoring, mechanics and electrical installation. However, this does not mean that other vocation skills are less significant to youth livelihood. Sustainable livelihood depends much on the ability of one to access livelihood assets, access to sources of working capital was one of livelihood assets examined; it was observed that more than half of respondents (65%) accessed the working capital from their relatives and friends followed by few respondents (14%) who have affirmed to have received working capital from SACCOS. This implies that support from the government, CSOs and private sector to empower VTCs graduates to start self-employment is inadequate and has resulted most of VTCs graduates livelihood stand still in the state of vulnerability. The study, therefore, recommends the stakeholders to complement the government‟s effort in the provision of training resources.