TEVETA’s Dual Vocational Education and Training framework is rewriting the rules of workforce production in Zambia. For the mining and construction sectors, it is not a compliance exercise, it is a competitive weapon.
3MTonnes of copper targeted per annum by 2031
70/30Workplace-to-institution training ratio under Dual VET
70%+Of Zambia’s foreign export earnings from mining
A Nation at a Crossroads and a Workforce That Must Rise to Meet It
Zambia is not simply growing; it is pivoting. The government’s ambitious target to raise copper production to 3 million tonnes per annum by 2031, the transformative Lobito Corridor rail project connecting the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, and the urgent national shift to green energy under the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) all share one foundational prerequisite: a skilled, certified, and job-ready workforce at a scale Zambia has never produced before.
The problem is stark. A landmark report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with TEVETA, reveals a troubling paradox: mining generates over 70% of Zambia’s foreign export revenue yet accounts for only approximately 2% of total national employment. Educational attainment consistently fails to align with occupational distribution. Graduates enter the labour market without the hands-on, sector-specific skills that industry urgently needs.
“Global drivers, including technological changes, environmental and climate change, are transforming societies, economies and the world of work. The strategic objective is to bolster employability, especially across genders and ages.”Wellington Chibebe, ILO Country Office Director for Zambia
The Dual Vocational Education and Training (VET) framework, championed by the Ministry of Technology and Science (MOTS) and administered by TEVETA, is the legislative and operational response to this crisis. It represents the most significant structural shift in Zambian skills policy in a generation and for the mining and construction industries, it presents a window of strategic advantage that will not stay open forever.
What is Dual VET? The 70/30 Model Explained
The Dual VET framework, governed by the TEVET Act No. 13 of 1998, its Amendment Act No. 11 of 2005, and the TEVET Policy of 2020, fundamentally restructures how vocational training is delivered in Zambia. It moves responsibility for skills production out of classrooms and into the operational heart of industry itself.
70% Workplace Learning; Conducted at a TEVETA-accredited Host Enterprise. Learners work under licensed Industry Trainers or Master Craftspersons on real projects, using real equipment, in live operational environments.
30% Institutional Theory; Delivered at a partner Vocational Training Institution (VTI) using TEVETA-approved curricula. Theory is designed to directly support and contextualise the workplace component.
Two Instruments: Apprenticeships vs. Learnerships
Within the Dual VET umbrella, two distinct programmes operate under formal regulatory status:
Formal Apprenticeships are highly structured, regulated programmes where a learner gains practical skills under the direct supervision of a Master Craftsperson. They are governed by tripartite agreements and lead to nationally recognised qualifications aligned with the Zambia Qualifications Framework (ZQF).
TEVET Learnerships are cooperative learning programmes governed by a legally binding Learnership Agreement; a tripartite contract between the learner, the Host Enterprise, and the training provider that clearly defines the roles, duration, objectives, welfare provisions, and assessment criteria for all parties.
Both pathways share the same outcome: graduates who are not merely certified, but experienced, safety-conscious, and immediately productive.
The Mining Sector: From Extraction Bottleneck to Human Capital Engine
Reaching the government’s 3-million-tonne copper target by 2031 is, at its most fundamental level, a human capital problem. It demands a massive parallel investment in the skilled personnel required to explore, extract, process, and refine copper and cobalt at scale; while simultaneously managing increasingly complex environmental and safety obligations under the Environmental Management Act (ZEMA).
Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo together control nearly 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves, the defining material for EV battery technology and the global green energy transition. Only 55% of Zambia’s geology has been historically surveyed. The remaining 45% is being mapped using modern methods. The next great mineral discoveries are almost certainly still in the ground but they will require a new generation of formally trained technicians to bring them to the surface.
Skills Required Across the Mining Value Chain
Dual VET Host Enterprise accreditation can be structured to align with every stage of the mining value chain, giving mining firms a direct, institution-backed pipeline of role-ready graduates:
Exploration: Geological surveying, drilling & sampling, feasibility assessment. 45% of Zambia’s geology remains unmapped, trained surveyors are a national strategic resource.
Extraction: Open-pit and underground techniques, blasting, hauling, crushing. High-hazard environments with zero tolerance for undertrained personnel.
Processing: Flotation, leaching, smelting, electro-refining. Competence-based training at operational scale, not replicable in a classroom.
Refining: Pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, casting, alloying, electro-winning. Advanced skills directly linked to local value addition and mineral beneficiation targets.
Pre-Screened Talent Pipeline
Learnerships function as an extended assessment process. Firms evaluate candidates in live operational conditions before committing to full-time employment, drastically reducing costly mis-hires.
Embedded Safety Culture
Learners trained in your operational environment adopt your specific safety protocols from day one. This directly reduces underground incident risk and strengthens ZEMA compliance.
Green Skills for Green Mining
Training curricula can be aligned to circular economy principles, climate-smart extraction, and electro-winning processes critical for Zambia’s ESG commitments to global investors.
Policy Influence via SSBs
Accredited Host Enterprises gain seats at Sector Skills Body (SSB) tables, directly influencing the national Critical Skills List and curricula for the mining sector.
“Over-reliance on hydroelectricity and limited use of greener energy sources has led to the energy challenges in the country, sparking the current drive for a robust, private-sector-led skills strategy.”Dr. Brilliant Habeenzu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Technology and Science
The Construction Sector: Building Zambia’s Infrastructure with a Homegrown Workforce
The construction industry stands at the convergene of every major national development vector: the Lobito Corridor’s physical infrastructure, the mining sector’s surface and underground installations, the government’s affordable housing programmes, and the rural infrastructure expansion mandated by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Each demands a sustained, certified construction workforce.
Yet the construction sector has historically been the slowest to formalise its skills pipeline. Informal labour, undercertified sub-contractors, and a persistent disconnect between NCC-registered contractors and TEVETA’s vocational framework have created structural fragility, one that Dual VET now offers a practical path to resolve.
What Dual VET Unlocks for NCC-Registered Contractors
Tender Competitiveness
Accredited Host Enterprise status signals to public and private clients that your firm’s workforce meets government-verified quality standards, a differentiator in ZPPA-evaluated bids.
Specialised Trade Pipelines
Train bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, steelfixers, and plant operators to your firm’s exact standards and workflows, eliminating costly onboarding and rework from generic hires.
TEVET Fund Access
Accredited enterprises can access financing through the Skills Development Levy (0.5% of gross payroll) and competitive TEVET Fund allocations to offset training costs significantly.
Lobito Corridor Positioning
Major regional infrastructure projects increasingly require standardised, accredited skills. Host Enterprise status positions your firm to compete for transnational project packages.
Green Building and the Future Skills Imperative
Zambia’s pivot toward solar PV, green hydrogen, and climate-smart planning is not merely an energy-sector conversation, it fundamentally reshapes what construction workers must know. Firms that begin training for green building techniques, energy-efficient design, and sustainable materials management now will own a decisive advantage as ESG expectations from international project financiers become standard procurement requirements.
The Dual VET framework allows construction firms to customise learnership curricula in partnership with VTIs to include these emerging technical competencies, creating a bespoke workforce capability that a competitor cannot rapidly replicate.
The Host Enterprise: Your Workplace as a Registered Training Institution
The term “Host Enterprise” carries precise legal weight under the TEVETA framework. It is a legally established workplace entity registered by TEVETA to provide work-based learning in accordance with set quality standards. It is, in effect, a formal recognition that your operational site meets the bar of a legitimate learning environment, not an administrative formality, but a certification with real market value.
“Fit for purpose graduates are important in the world of work. Industry needs to play a critical role.”TEVETA Requirements for Host Enterprises Guidelines
The Five Pillars of Accreditation
Legal & Administrative Status
The entity must be legally established, registered by TEVETA for work-based learning, and approved for specific training programmes, not as a general or blanket status.
Facility Readiness & Quality Standards
An on-site evaluation by TEVETA verifies that the physical environment, equipment, and operational workflows are conducive to structured, safe, and high-standard practical instruction.
Industry Trainers & Master Craftspersons
The enterprise must identify and build the capacity of in-house Industry Trainers. A designated Quality Assurance Officer for training must also be named and profiled.
Operational Documentation
A TEVETA-approved Workplace Training Plan, structured logbooks to track learner progress, and a signed tripartite Learnership Agreement are mandatory operational tools.
Health, Safety & Welfare Compliance
Full compliance with national health and safety legislation is non-negotiable. Employers must also demonstrate awareness of new legislative requirements affecting their sector.
Accreditation is not permanent. TEVETA retains authority to withdraw recognition from any enterprise that falls below mandated standards, a built-in quality safeguard that ensures the “Seal of Confidence” carries genuine weight in the market.
Construction Brokerage as the Bridge Between Industry and Education
For many construction and mining firms, particularly SMEs, NCC-registered contractors, and growing enterprises navigating the TEVETA accreditation process, establishing compliant documentation, managing tripartite agreements, and accessing training finance simultaneously is a significant operational burden. This is precisely the gap that a specialist Construction Brokerage function exists to close.
Daka & Associates Construction Brokerage positions itself at the centre of the tripartite ecosystem as a facilitator, intermediary, and capacity builder; enabling both industry and educational institutions to extract maximum value from the Dual VET framework without the friction of navigating it alone.
| Brokerage Function | What We Do | Who Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation Facilitation | Guide firms through the Host Enterprise registration process, prepare facility assessments, and ensure documentation meets TEVETA’s evaluation criteria. | Mining firms, NCC contractors, construction SMEs |
| Agreement Management | Draft, review, and register tripartite Learnership Agreements, ensuring all parties understand obligations under the TEVET Act framework. | Enterprises, VTIs, Learners |
| Skills Gap Analysis | Apply the STED (Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification) methodology to map specific technical gaps by role and occupation within a firm’s workforce. | Mining and construction firms planning growth |
| Mentorship Coordination | Identify, assess, and build the capacity of in-house Industry Trainers and Master Craftspersons to meet TEVETA’s quality assurance requirements. | All accreditation applicants |
| Financing Navigation | Help enterprises access the TEVET Fund and Skills Development Levy rebate mechanisms to offset direct training costs under approved programmes. | Private sector employers paying the 0.5% SDL |
| VTI Partnership Matching | Connect construction and mining firms with the right Vocational Training Institution partners for the theoretical component of the 70/30 model. | New Host Enterprises seeking institutional partners |
The Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) has been explicit: policies that narrow the skills gap are essential to ensuring the private sector has a steady supply of high-tier talent. The Dual VET framework delivers that supply but only if enterprises move quickly to position themselves as accredited producers, not passive consumers, of Zambian human capital.
Is Your Firm Ready to Become a Registered Training Workplace?
The window to establish first-mover advantage in the Dual VET ecosystem is open now. TEVETA is actively registering Host Enterprises across the mining, energy, and construction sectors. Firms that act early will define the curricula, own the talent pipelines, and carry the “Seal of Confidence” that will increasingly separate competitive bids from also-rans.Speak to Our Advisory Team →
