Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Teaching Factory Approach which the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) has adopted in the past two years has started bearing fruits by producing fully-backed graduates to serve country’s industries.
The approach prepares graduates with hands on skills ready to be absorbed in the market. “DIT has managed to produce readymade graduates to be employed by different industries or companies and have played a great role in supporting the government agenda of industrialisation,” DIT Principal, Prof Preksedis Ndomba, stated in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.
In undertaking the initiative, since last year, the students in their groups in ‘dummy companies’ have come up with project ideas and written project proposal to the institute’s management for funding and implementation.
The institute’s management vets the proposals and fund successful project proposals for implementation to solve problems within the institute. Some of projects implemented by the students’ dummy companies within DIT’s campuses are construction and repairing of concrete study benches, electrical installations and others.
“That is aimed at subjecting students to the real working environments they will face after their graduations,” Prof Ndomba, argued at a function for awarding four dummy companies that their project proposals won during this year’s competition.
This year, there were 14 dummy companies, which competed in project proposals. The successful students’ dummy companies are Crem Construction Company, Meyu Electrical Company, DarTech Solutions Limited and Tachlads.
He said the move was in-line with the DIT vision of becoming the leading technical education institution in addressing the societal needs.
“It also concurs with the DIT mission of providing competence-based technical education through training, research, innovation and development of appropriate technology,” he stressed.
In the course of implementing the Teaching Factory Concept, the Institute has increased the budget for teaching materials and gears to 500m/- from 150m/-, though the budget is ring-fenced. Institute’s registrar, Roy Elineema, said the programme also intends to provide work experience to students while still at the college.
“Through the Teaching Factory Approach students get practical work in industries,” Mr Elineema said. Coordinator of the programme, Dr Sosthness Karugaba, said students who participated in the carrying out the projects have acquired practical skills needed in the job market.
On his part, Deputy Principal of Academic, Research and Consultancy, Prof Patrick Nsimama, said the institute was well prepared to become the regional ICT centre of excellence in a move to prepare and produce professionals to meet the forth industrial revolution that would consist of high tech industries.
“We (DIT) do everything possible to enable young people to become useful for the nation, and these efforts are sustainable,” he emphasized.
Commenting, president of the students, William Kajumla, thanked the institute’s management for continuing funding the students’ projects and providing them with guidance in preparing them to venture into the competitive job market.
