A Research Dissertation Submitted at Mzumbe Dar es Salaam Campus College
in Partial/Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public
Administration (MPA) of Mzumbe University
Private recruitment agencies (PREAs) are intermediaries that help to address key
labour market challenges and efficient partners of public employment services.
Services provided by private employment agencies contribute to more effective
active labour market policies by putting more people to work, facilitating transitions,
supporting transformations and cooperating with public employment services
(Abella, 2004). The main objective of this study was to explore the contribution of
PREAs in assisting the jobseekers in securing job. The study adopted a case study
design of PREAs in Dar es Salaam region and employed 100 respondents through
purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Both primary and secondary data
were collected and analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods, Excel
spread sheet, descriptive statistical, cross tabulation and simple regression method.
The result indicates that there was an increase in the realization of the impact as a
result of PREAs in the labour market in assisting jobseekers to secure jobs. The high
impact obtained was due to increase in awareness on PREAs services, good working
relationship and support from Central and Local Government of Tanzania through
TAESA as well as private sector. The study highlighted some barriers facing PREAs
which are; competition, lack of agencies cooperation, poor management of agencies,
high service charges, lack of competency, skills and experience for Jobseekers, lack
of initial capital, misuse of donor funds, lack of business expansion, lack of service
differentiation and lack of experience for some agencies. The findings also indicated
various source of labour market for PREAs such as; employers, business consultants,
Internet source and educational institutions. Furthermore, results indicated that
PREAs benefit in terms of revenues gaining, increase of company image etc.
From the study it is recommended that more training and education programs
required to both employees and jobseekers, focus of increasing efficiency of labour
market by providing quality services, involvement of other stakeholders in strategy
formulation, need for publicity, reduction of service charges, improvement of
services and restructuring of screening and recruitment procedures employed by the
PPREAs to jobseekers.