By Erick Nyayiera
Siaya County’s Department of Education has launched the distribution of the first batch of equipment for 18 new vocational training centers (VCT) across Siaya procured at a cost of Sh24 million in the Financial Year 2020/2021.
The Sh24 million worth of equipment is part of the Sh48 million factored in the 2020/21 budget to equip the VCT institutions and support construction of administration blocks, workshops, fencing and toilets.
The equipment for the VCTs across the county is part of the County administration efforts to ensure the development of vocational education and facilitation of reform development in the education sector to meet the regions technological needs.
Speaking at her office during the official distribution launch ceremony, Dorothy Otieno, the Acting Director of Educational Training in charge of ECD’s and VCT’s in Siaya County, said that the tools were procured in relation to the community based needs.
“Areas of trades that would be supported by this equipment include carpentry and joinery, plumbing, masonry, food and beverages, ICT, motor vehicle mechanics, hair dressing and beauty therapy,” she added.
Mrs. Otieno said they resolved to make technical and vocational training a mainstream in the County’s education systems as a measure to providing the much needed skilled manpower.
She added that technical education holds the power to expand the society’s ability to discover and create new interventions to fulfill a better future for the youth.
“This project is aimed at enhancing vocational and technical training in order to equip youth with skills to create employment opportunities for themselves. This is the best way to prepare the youth to compete effectively in the job market,” said Mrs Otieno.
“We urge communities to mobilize youths to join the TVCs, let our form four leavers and bodaboda operators join the institutions and pursue technical courses to fill the national gap needed to make Kenya an industrially developed state,” she added.
She noted that investing heavily in vocational training remains key to the attainment of the country’s development goals as contained in the Vision 2030.
She said most of the county’s flagship projects require more human resource with adequate knowledge, skills and competencies that ‘we currently lack.’
Melany Anyango, youths training officer said the intention is to equip the youth with skills to play a huge contribution in the country’s Vision 2030.
She urged students to take advantage of the Government’s commitment to expanding technical education so as to get the necessary skills needed in the job market.
South East Alego Member of County Assembly Joseph Mboha and his Counterpart in West Alego Judy Okumu regretted that the country was importing skilled manpower working on important projects because there was shortage of artisans and technologists in the local market.
“Our students must understand that they do not succeed in life only by having a university degree in any field but having skills is critical for one’s personal progression as well as that of the country,” they said.
