In a major boost to Tanzania’s construction sector, over 400 Tanzanian workers employed by China Railway Jianchang Engineering Company (CRJE) are undergoing a two-month intensive training led by Chinese vocational education instructors. The program, organized under the China-Africa Vocational Education Alliance, is running at CRJE’s Kawe construction sites in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
Instructors from three Chinese TVET institutions, Zibo Polytechnic University, Shandong Polytechnic, and Jiangsu Urban and Rural Construction Vocational College, are delivering practical training across critical areas: construction safety, smart construction technology, material testing, and precision measurement using tools such as theodolites and RTK systems.
According to Jiang Feng from Zibo Polytechnic, the program emphasises the use of advanced surveying equipment, teaching Tanzanian trainees how to operate machinery like total stations in real-world sites. Meanwhile, Shandong Polytechnic’s Fu Yutao is leading the quality-inspection lessons, where participants learn to carry out concrete compressive strength and rebar tensile strength tests – key for improving structural safety.
Yuan Fenghua from Jiangsu Urban & Rural Construction Vocational College blends on-site safety training with intelligent technology. His modules are helping workers master both operational protocols and the application of modern construction tech. Shen Jinyu, project manager for the China-Africa Vocational Education Alliance in Tanzania, notes that this training aligns with the country’s broader TVET development goals and helps match local labor skills with what Chinese engineering firms operating in Tanzania require.
Among trainees, Tanzanian civil engineer Adam Agostino says the practical lessons, especially on measuring devices and safety procedures, feel advanced compared to previous training offered by local firms. From the Chinese side, HR manager Wang Shuaipeng describes the initiative as a “new and effective approach” for cultivating local expertise and ensuring higher standards on construction sites.
This training program is part of a larger pattern of vocational capacity-building between China and Tanzania. Earlier this year, 80 Tanzanian youths graduated from a China-backed vocational initiative run by a Chinese steel company and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. Trainees gained certifications in areas like welding, plumbing, electrical installation, and masonry.
Moreover, institutional ties run deep: in 2025, the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) and China’s Chongqing Technical Institute signed an agreement for student and teacher exchanges in technical education, strengthening long-term vocational channels.
On the infrastructure side, China is also partnering with Tanzania to rehabilitate aging rail lines, such as the historically significant TAZARA railway, tying skills development to major transport projects.
By investing in hands-on, practical training for Tanzanian construction workers, China is not just building structures, it’s building local capacity. These programs give Tanzanian employees real, transferable skills and promote better safety, quality, and professional standards on construction sites. They also reflect a deeper China-Tanzania development model: one that pairs infrastructure investment with technical knowledge transfer and mutual growth.
