The growth of the Kenyan economy will in the near future greatly depend on people with technical skills hence the need to acquire such knowledge, Education Chief Officer Susan Ngera has noted.
Speaking at Machungwa Vocational Training Centre where she issued a Ksh250,000 bursary Cheque in aid of students at the facility, Ngera said most of the available jobs in the market require technical knowledge.
She pointed out that most of the available job opportunities in the country are in the building and construction, masonry, tailoring, carpentry, and mechanical fields.
The chief officer noted that such technical skills are taught in the 31 vocational training centers set up by the county government of Trans Nzoia across its 25 wards.
“It is only in Trans Nzoia that the department of education has established such a high number of vocational training centers, equipped them, and posted trainers in the whole 47 counties, you can inquire from our neighboring counties like West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Bungoma it is only in our county that we have such a huge investment in technical training,” said Ngera.
She called on parents and students to cooperate with both the national and county government to ensure that students benefit through the government support among them financing of technical institutions.
The Chief Officer lauded students who have already enrolled in the vocational training centers across the county saying that the future generation of this country will depend on their technical skills.
The county director of vocational training Eliud Lusweti on his part dispelled the notion among members of the community that technical education is for the students who failed their national examinations.
He disclosed that the negative branding of such institutions was the biggest challenge that the department is facing as only a handful of students turn out at the facilities.
Lusweti further called on both the students and parents to ensure that their children enroll in the learning facilities saying the future of this generation will depend on the technical know-how.
“It is very unfortunate that both the national and the country government have committed a lot of money in the establishment and equipping of the vocational centers but the students turn out is very low,” he said, pointing out that the Department of Education annually sets aside 30 percent of all the development fund to support students in the vocational training centers but sometimes the students were not available to enjoy the benefit.
