Phillipo Mulugo

The government expects to construct 19 vocational training colleges in the 2012/13 and next financial year. The new VETA colleges will be built in two phases.

Education and Vocational Training deputy minister Phillipo Mulugo informed the House here on Wednesday that the cost of constructing one vocational training college was estimated at 6bn/-.

He said four centres would be built in Phase One and 15 others in Phase Two, which is scheduled to begin next fiscal year.

Meanwhile, Mulugo said the government has allocated 4.2bn/- for rehabilitation of the Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) under the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children to be used as VETA centres.

He was responding to a supplementary question by Albert Ntabaliba (Manyovu, CCM) who had wanted to know if the government has solicited funds from various sources, including partners and investors in a bid to construct more vocational training colleges in Tarime, Kilindi, Namtumbo, Chunya and Ukerewe districts.

Meanwhile, Mulugo informed the House that under the national plan, each district is supposed to have at least one VETA college.

He was responding to a basic question from Tarime MP Nyambari Nyangwine (CCM), who had wanted the government to explain the timeframe for constructing a new VETA centre in his district.

Mulugo said the government expects to construct new colleges or utilising folk development colleges to provide vocational training in some districts.

“In a bid to implement the plan, priority is given to all districts that lacked even privately owned vocational training college or folk development college,” he said.

He said Tarime district has one folk development college; hence the government would allocate funds to rehabilitate the facility for it to provide vocational training before a new VETA college is built.