By Felix Wanderi
The Kiambu County Government is set to partner with colleges within the county to enroll 10,000 youths for technical courses.
Governor James Nyoro said that some 4,500 youths will be enrolled in the 39 vocational training centers across the county while the rest will be registered in technical colleges within the county.
Some of the courses the youths will undertake include mechanics, plumbing, masonry, hairdressing and beauty, tailoring, carpentry, catering, pastry and electronics.
The county chief spoke at a trade expo organized by colleges and universities within Kiambu County in Thika town.
He said that the programme is aimed at imparting requisite knowledge and skills to the youth, especially those who hail from humble backgrounds.
The courses will help them acquire skills for employment or to enable them start their own income-generating ventures.
“Most form four leavers who will not be able to join university will be the major beneficiaries of our programme and will get hands-on skills from the training to give them a competitive the edge in the job industry as well as enable them become job creators,” Nyoro said.
The Governor also noted that the County Government will be partner with industries in the county to secure internship and job opportunities for the beneficiaries of the programme.
“We have hundreds of industries in Kiambu and especially in Thika, which is the region’s industrial hub,” he said.
Felistas Wairimu, the convener of the expo said the trade fair for colleges was meant to bring the institutions together to help candidates seeking to join colleges and other tertiary institutions.
“The colleges offer diverse technical courses and our idea was to enable students set transition to the next level meet them, get advice and make a wise decision on the course to undertake,” Wairimu said.
Some of the colleges that participated in the expo include Cascade Institute of Hospitality, Uzuri Institute and Vera Beauty and Fashion College.
Others are County to County College, Kenya Institute of Management and Lodams Media. Universities present included Mount Kenya University (MKU) and Zetech University.
