Uasin Gishu Education County Executive Committee Member Anthony Sitienei has decried a negative perception that members of the public have towards Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions.
Sitienei argues that the negative perception has contributed to low enrolment in VTCs and TVETs.
Speaking to Uasin Gishu News on the sidelines of capacity building of VTCs Board Members and Managers from Uasin Gishu, Marsabit, Baringo and Samburu Counties on Leadership, Governance and Quality Management, the county executive expressed the need for a perception change.
According to Sitienei, engaging learners while in secondary school on the importance of technical education will help address the negative perception.
“This problem of negative perception should be addressed from the secondary level where positive talks should be held and addressed to youths to appreciate that TVETs are as good as university and any other learning institution,” said the CECM.
“The youths need to know that the gains one gets from training in TVET courses are more than white colour jobs as the production is relative to one’s efforts and gains are also relative to the input,” he added.
Uasin Gishu to employ more VTC tutors
However, Sitienei admitted that VTCs which are under devolved units are understaffed as well as face financing challenges.
But he revealed that the County Government of Uasin Gishu is already making plans to hire tutors in a bid to ensure the institutions offer quality education to learners.
“This is an issue we have addressed in the county cabinet chaired by the governor and we have agreed that more resources are factored in to employ more tutors. We are addressing it in liaison with the national government,” he said.
Uasin Gishu has 13 Vocational Training Centers (VTCs).
There has also been a concern over the quality of equipment in VTCs, an issue the CECM says can be addressed by the national government allocating more resources to the devolved units.
He noted that it is only through TVET institutions that the country can be able to accelerate its bid to be an industrialised nation.
