By Our Reporter
Bahi District Council is using locally generated revenue to expand vocational training for young people, with a focus on turning technical skills into employment, self-employment and participation in the local economy.
The council has set aside TZS 100 million from its own-source revenue through the Education Fund to support young people studying at VETA Bahi.
The initiative was revealed on August 15, 2026, by Bahi District Administrative Secretary Mwanamvua Muyonga during a visit to the college by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Sports.
Muyonga said 90 students had been enrolled at the college, with the council paying tuition fees for 45 of them as part of efforts to widen access to vocational education.
She said the council's approach goes beyond financing training by connecting graduates with opportunities to earn a living.
“Our council does not stop at paying tuition fees. We have established a system that links training, empowerment and economic opportunities,” Muyonga said.
Through its partnership with VETA, the council has trained 127 young people in driving, who were subsequently supported with loans worth about TZS 210 million and motorcycles to enable them to start businesses.
The council has also supported short-term training programmes based on skills demanded within the community, including welding and catering.
Some young people trained in welding have formed groups and started taking part in income-generating activities, according to Muyonga.
Bahi's model also seeks to address one of the key challenges facing vocational graduates — the gap between acquiring skills and finding opportunities to use them.
Muyonga said some youth groups that received training and financial support from the council have secured work on projects implemented by the district council.
Their assignments include classroom construction, welding and the manufacture of doors and windows.
The approach means that money allocated for development projects can also create opportunities for local skilled workers and youth-owned enterprises.
For residents, the model offers a practical link between public investment in education and economic opportunities at community level.
Muyonga said the council works with VETA to identify the skills needed by young people before deciding which training programmes to support.
“When it is established that a group of young people needs particular skills, the council works with the college to facilitate the training,” she said.
She cited catering as one example, saying the college introduced the training after the council identified young people who needed skills in the field.
The Bahi initiative provides an example of how councils can use own-source revenue to address youth unemployment by combining skills training, access to finance and market opportunities.
For young people, the emphasis on linking training with actual economic opportunities could help make vocational education more relevant to their livelihoods while strengthening the role of local enterprises in district development.
