Passport to Success: Building Life Skills for Tomorrow's Workforce

Technical skill alone is not enough to succeed in today's labour market. Since February 2019, Don Bosco Dodoma VTC has piloted the Passport to Success (PTS) life skills training model, funded by Irish Aid and implemented with the International Youth Foundation, to build the soft skills — self-awareness, teamwork, financial literacy and resilience — that employers consistently look for.

Anancia Lema, one of eleven TVET instructors trained and certified to deliver PTS lessons, says the programme reshaped how she teaches. "I can competently say that the training has developed my inner ability to effectively interact with my students and deliver my classes accordingly," she explains.

For Dominick Justin, a student at Don Bosco Dodoma VTC, the programme has been a turning point. "Achieving my personal development and growth is a goal which will require me to make some sacrifices, but I believe the feeling is priceless," he says. "With this training I believe I am on the right path."

Fr. Boniface Mchami, principal at Don Bosco Dodoma VTC, has observed the change firsthand: "Holistic formation forms a fundamental part of the education framework we provide. I believe PTS has helped the students look at themselves from a different perspective."

Having proven successful in Dodoma, the PTS model has since been replicated at other Don Bosco institutions across Tanzania, including Don Bosco Oysterbay.