PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa advised graduates of the Chief Executive Officer Apprenticeship Programme (CAP) who were promoted to C-level executive management positions to use the acquired skills for the economic growth in a sustainable manner.
While addressing audience at the programme graduation ceremony in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, he also urged CEOs Roundtable of Tanzania (CEOrt) Board of Directors to work with the government and other institutions to identify areas, which require local leaders to be groomed in such trainings.
Equally, Mr Majaliwa encouraged the board to also prepare training courses, which lay emphasis on mining, oil and gas, construction and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) improvements.
Elaborating, he said upon the CEOrt to work together with the government to broaden their knowledge base in implementing major national strategic projects.
“This training has come at the right time and in line with the government’s philosophy of “Hapa Kazi Tu”.
It has also come at a time, when the country is now a middle-income economy… so these leaders should use their skills and expertise in the implementation of big projects such as Standard Gauge Railway and Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station,” he said.
On his part, the CEO Roundtable of Tanzania Chairman, Sanjay Rughani, said the programme was introduced after their research found that 60 per cent of the companies wanted to hire local Tanzanians and African leaders as CEO in positions, but sourcing them was becoming a bit difficult.
He said in recognising the existing leadership gap and need for additional investment in Tanzania’s human capital, the CEOrt partnered with Strathmore University Business School (SBS) to launch a specialized leadership programme- the CEO Apprenticeship Programme (CAP) two years ago.
“During the duration of the programme 16 CAP participants followed a practical goal-oriented curriculum coupled with strong mentorship and leadership coaching to expand their thought capacity from an operational to a strategic lens that prepare them to become future CEOs. “The main objective of the CAP initiative is to facilitate the succession of CAP graduates into CEO positions over time, and in turn create a pipeline of competent, experienced, and visionary leaders in Tanzania,” he said.
The chairman further said the training was aimed at enabling Tanzanians to hold senior positions of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Directors in various companies and institutions.
“In just its pioneering year, the CEO Apprenticeship Programme has witnessed the succession of three of its participants who have attained positions at the C-level.
“From Songas Ltd, Mr Anael Samuel has recently been promoted to hold the position of a Managing Director. Representing Access Bank, Mr Julius Ruwaichi has been appointed as the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, and Ms. Anna Shanalingigwa from PASS Trust was most recently appointed as Acting Managing Director.
“Another success story this year of the CEO Apprenticeship Programme was graduate, Anna Shanalingigwa being promoted internally during the training and she is now the Acting Managing Director of PASS,” further said Rughani.
Commenting, Ms Shanalingigwa said: “The CAP programme has widened my thinking capacity and knowledge on how I can handle leadership position, and in order to achieve these goals, a woman needs the full support of the community to be a better leader for the benefit of the company and society at large.”
Source: The Daily News