By Prosper Makene
More than twelve academic staff from the National Institute of Transport (NIT) attended industrial attachments in various transport organizations to improve their skills, knowledge and professionals.
The staff undertook industrial attachments at different organizations including Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC), Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA), Tanzania, Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA).
The Centre’s Project Industrial Liaison Officer Sarah Mwakyusa said: “In the strategic Implementation Plan of CoEATO, the Centre has budgeted for the project Implementation Unit (PIU) and Institute’s academic staff to be attached to an organization with the aim of building their operational, hands on skills and academic capacity.”
She said: “Although industry attachment for teachers and trainers is equally important, some of the organizations rejected our requests. TASAC said they have limited office space and DART has not yet respond our request.”
Gender Inclusion
Mwakyusa revealed that the issue of gender was taken into account during the selection process. Of the 12 staff who were attached, 7 were males and 5 females.
However, she observed that only fulltime staff are considered for industrial attachment although both fulltime and parttime staff are involved in teaching students. She urged project funders to include parttime staff for industrial attachment.
She pointed out that if all academic staff could have given the same chance of attending industrial attachment, all the lecturers could have received the knowledge from the market and impart to students.
“All of the academic staff who attended the industrial attachment programme have realized that there is new skills and technologies which must be imparting to students,” she said.
The Writer at NIT Communications Department