- Busia County Government has intensified efforts to strengthen vocational training centres and improve skills development for young people.
- County officials are focusing on institutional management, staff accountability, trainee enrolment and alignment of training with labour market needs.
- The engagement also emphasised collaboration between VTC managers, instructors and the county education department to improve training quality and retention.
The Busia County Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen vocational education and skills development through a strategic engagement with managers and instructors from vocational training centres (VTCs) across the county.
The meeting, held at the DICECE Hall in Busia Town, brought together VTC managers and instructors to deliberate on key operational issues affecting the delivery of technical and vocational education in the county.
The engagement was convened by the Chief Officer for Education and Industrial Skills Development, Esau Onyapidi Ochakala, and focused on strengthening institutional management, clarifying staff roles and responsibilities, enhancing operational efficiency and developing strategies to improve trainee enrolment and retention.
Officials said the meeting was aimed at addressing emerging challenges within the county’s vocational training institutions while ensuring that VTCs remain responsive to the changing demands of the labour market.
County targets stronger VTC management
Director of Vocational Training Leonard Opollo reaffirmed the county government’s commitment to expanding technical and vocational education as a key pathway for equipping young people with practical and market-oriented skills.
Opollo said the county was keen on strengthening VTCs to enable them to produce graduates with competencies that can enhance employability, entrepreneurship and self-reliance among the youth.
The managers were also directed to ensure full participation of instructors in institutional programmes and activities, with emphasis placed on teamwork and accountability in improving service delivery.
The county administration said sustained collaboration between VTC managers, instructors and the Department of Education and Industrial Skills Development would be critical in improving the quality of training and increasing enrolment in the institutions.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for officials to discuss ways of improving trainee retention and ensuring that vocational training programmes remain relevant to the skills required in the labour market.
County officials maintained that stronger management and clearer staff responsibilities would help improve the efficiency of vocational training centres and the quality of services offered to trainees.
The meeting comes as county governments continue to play a key role in promoting vocational training as an avenue for addressing youth unemployment and bridging skills gaps in various sectors of the economy.
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Busia County officials said strengthening VTCs would help more young people acquire practical skills that can support employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship.
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