VETA Introduces Solar PV Curriculum

The Vocational Education Training Authority –VETA- wing in Mwanza supported by the Project of Transformation of the Rural Photovoltaic (PV) Market has introduced a new PV curriculum in the syllabuses of domestic electrical installation department for quality and sustainable training of solar technicians in the country.

The overall objective of the proposed curriculum is to instill knowledge and trade skills on PV technologies and applications to trainees in an effort to support wide dissemination of PV technologies in Tanzania.

VETA advisory committee approved the proposed PV curriculum In March 2005 to be piloted at VETA Mwanza with effect from July 2005.

The implementation arrangements of the new PV curriculum require trainees to initially be introduced into the subject right from their first year of study (level I).

In this way the trainees will have the opportunity to be exposed to the subject and therefore be in a position to continue smoothly with specialized PV topics at level II of their study.

The basic principles of solar energy and solar energy conversion will form a good starting point. Up on successful completion of level I training, of the electrical installation courses the trainee will be admitted to level II course.
The duration of the Level II course is estimated to be about six months with an initial enrolment of about 15 trainees.

All prerequisites for the implementation of the new curriculum have been attained. Course modules are already developed; All VETA Electrical installation course instructors have undergone Training of Trainers PV course organized by the project; and Tools and equipment for practical sessions have been procured and are in place.

In the earlier stages the project commissioned a consultant to analyze and assess PV curriculum available and the training experiences on PV systems and applications in the country and the region. Both formal and informal training undertaken by training institutions, NGOs and the private sector were also to be analyzed.

The consultant was also assigned to assess the current domestic electrical installation curriculum in the VETA institutions and was required to recommend, in consultation with the VETA authorities, any additions and/or modifications, deemed necessary to assist in the proper integration of the proposed PV curriculum.

He was tasked to develop an appropriate set of course modules on PV systems applications, PV components, planning, pricing, system design configuration, installation, commissioning, service and maintenance for the VTC trainees to be integrated into the electrical installation curriculum.

Size and scope of the course modules in consultation with the VETA were to be recommended and the consultant was required to propose a training manual and reference learning materials for the developed PV course modules

He was lastly assigned to design and develop a number of workshop tasks for the practical training on PV systems and prepare a list of PV components, instruments and tools needed to conduct the practical training.

All these tasks were successfully accomplished by the consultant in collaboration with the project, VETA authority, Ministry of Energy and Mineral and UNDP in December 2004.

Over the last decade a few institutions including NGO’s, have been involved in providing one form or another of basic PV training courses to various groups. These are KARADEA Solar training Facility, TATEDO, University of Dar es Salaam and Mafinga Lutheran Vocational training Centre.

It has been observed that the types of PV training courses have had several limitations, including;