Education stakeholders in Embu County have been urged to launch a campaign to identify school leavers without technical course aptitude and work with leaders and technical institutions to enroll them in short technical courses.
Former Mbeere South MP, Geoffrey King’ang’i, emphasized the urgency of these campaigns to identify and sponsor school leavers for short courses at Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes (TVETs).
King’ang’i noted that technical skills gained by school leavers from other counties at Embu-based TVETs are highly marketable both locally and internationally. He stressed the need for education stakeholders to collaborate with provincial administrators, from assistant chiefs to County Commissioners, to mobilize support for the attainment of technical skills by local youth.
He attributed the low skill levels among Embu residents to ignorance about the opportunities offered by TVETs and the allure of engaging in Muguka (miraa) farming, bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) business, and substance abuse.
“Why do young school leavers in Embu continue to ignore some of these commercially viable and industrially lucrative short courses some lasting between three and 6 months at TVET right in their villages,” wondered Mr. King’ang’i
Speaking to Education News at his Gachoka home in Mbeere South, King’ang’i warned that Embu County faced a shortage of technically qualified staff in both government and private sectors, particularly in the expanding construction sector.
He suggested that administrators work with school management and parents to scrutinize lists of school leavers at both primary and secondary levels to identify the growing number of idle youth who had not enrolled in technical colleges. He recommended mobilizing financial and technical resources from various sources, including churches, the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), the county government, donor organizations, and individual philanthropists to support their enrollment in short technical courses.
King’ang’i also highlighted the risk that Embu youth might miss out on employment opportunities abroad, where the Kenyan government has secured major openings in countries such as Germany, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates for technical labor.
Meanwhile, various TVETs in Embu and the Mt. Kenya region continue to offer flexible courses to meet the demand for short courses. The Nyeri National Polytechnic (NNP), for example, offers a range of three- to six-month courses in areas such as firefighting pump operation, chemical production, dairy farm management, meat technology, information technology, business studies, entrepreneurship, and various building, engineering, and construction skills.
The NNP has also introduced courses in clean energy, such as wiring, electrical, and solar installation skills, each with duration of three months. Additionally, the institution provides accreditation for those with prior skills and knowledge, such as motorbike mechanics, who seek formal certification.
By focusing on these initiatives, Embu County can better equip its youth with the technical skills needed to thrive in both local and international labor markets.
KUPPET decries banditry in Kerio Valley as affecting preparations for exams
By Robert Nyagah
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
