Abstract
Apprenticeship in the informal economy in the national Skills System. The Tanzanian government first recognized the importance of informal education and training in its 1995 Education and Training Policy, which states that non-formal and informal education and training shall be “recognized, promoted, strengthened, coordinated and integrated into the formal education and training system” (para 2.3.9). Until 2011, however, implementation of these policy pronouncements, grounded in careful analysis of labour market and training needs, was lacking. Whatever training took place, was conducted through informal apprenticeships in individual enterprises and had little to no ties with formal training or recognition (WB, 2013). Acknowledging the importance of establishing bridges between informal training and formal employment the new Education and Training Policy (2014) thus devotes issue 3.3.6 to the establishment of a system of recognition of competencies gained outside formally recognized institutions (URT, 2014). Moreover, the latest national strategy for growth and the reduction of poverty (2016-2021) pledges to assess and recognize the skills of 200.000 informal apprentices and workers by 2021 (URT, 2016, para. 4.3.3).