The County Government of Uasin Gishu has been asked to consider allocating more resources towards vocational training colleges (VTCs).
According to Ngeria Member of County Assembly (MCA) Richard Kering, the VTCs offer the best opportunity to ensure youths have basic skills.
Contributing to Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim’s speech on the floor of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly, Kering said more resources should be channelled to VTCs.
He believes the institutions managed by the county are better placed to address unemployment among the youth.
“We have been allocating more money to support needy students in secondary schools but I think it is time we focused more on vocational training,” said the Ngeria MCA.
“As a county, we need to invest where our young men and women get basic skills like plumbing, and electricals so that those who failed to get grades to allow them to join universities and other colleges can also have a chance to pursue their dreams,” he added.
Bursary fund
For the last 10 years, the county government of Uasin Gishu has been allocating about Ksh90 million annually towards bursary funding.
Each of the 30 wards has been getting an equal allocation of Ksh3 million.
But Governor Chelilim, in his speech to open the county assembly said his administration would enhance the bursary kitty.
However, the Ngeria MCA notes that some of the students who sit for the KCSE examinations are usually unable to continue with their studies and hence need to find a way of also supporting them.
“Most of the youths once they fail to continue with studies, they fall into drug abuse that ends up destroying their lives. We also need to look at how to help them,” said Kering.
“Parents struggle to help their children go through secondary education and leaving them to drop out because they did not get grades to go to college is unfair. This is why we need more support for VTCs,” he added.
