By Lydia Ngoolo
The youth have been urged to get TVET training for self-reliance.
Speaking during the advocacy workshop on adult education held at Mwaani girls,Wote town at Makueni county the Director adult continuing education (ACE) Franklin Mugambi asked young people to make a point of joining technical and vocational training.
“Currently we have shortage of plumbers while many graduates are loitering around with their degrees. Go for courses which can help you employ yourself,” Mugambi said.
He lauded Makueni for being among the top counties in adult education enrollment. He noted Nairobi is the only county which can compete with Makueni.
The director revealed that the ACE was started in 1975 to alleviate illiteracy among adults in the society. It started with the ‘Ngumbaru’ but they re-branded the program by calling it adult continuing education to move away from the earlier perception and encourage more including the youths to join the program.
He called upon all their ambassadors to mobilize more learners to ACE adding that they have organized a series of advocacy workshops. He said they look forward to improving the program though they have challenges of learning centers and structures.
Makueni County director of adult continuing education Prisca Nduku said the adult education is offered in all the nine sub counties of Makueni. They have 14 full time instructors and 92 part time instructors.
She added that in this quarter of the year they have had a total enrolment of 3,996 with 579 males and 3,382 females. Total class attendance is 2532 with 342 males and 2190 females.
In 2021 candidates they have a Teacher certificate candidature of 25 (4 males and 21 females), KCPE there are 25 candidates with 19 males and 6 females and KCSE candidates are 53 where males are 33 and 20 females.
“The KCSE and KCPE candidates will sit for their exams in March next year whereas the Teacher certificate will take their exams in June.
“We are delighted since the last class we had for ACE teacher certificate 11 got distinctions, the rest got credits. They were a total of 28 but one missed the exams,” Nduku.
She however decried lack of ICT equipment in her office saying she works from cyber cafes.
Shortage of staff, transport and poverty among were among the challenges she enumerated.
