By Asa Maina
The Nyeri National Polytechnic will receive Sh170 million from the national government in the next three years to upgrade its infrastructure.
The PS for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Margaret Mwakima, said the funding will be disbursed in tranches beginning this financial year.
The equipment to be acquired through the funding will also be used to mentor other learning institutions in practical training.
Mwakima said a total of Sh320 million has been pumped into the polytechnic since 2012 which has been used to equip a milk processing unit.
The unit will be used to train students in the dairy industry.
“Central Kenya is very rich in terms of dairy production and so we will now start training for the market to be able to produce pasteurized milk, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products,” she said.
Mwakima had visited the institution to assess the level of investment that the government has put in the hospitality and tourism training programmes.
Also assessed were the smart classrooms, which are among the government’s investments.
The government has invested in smart classrooms in various national polytechnics to enable the institutions to automate training and provide practical models.
The institution also received equipment for hospitality and tourism, building technology and civil engineering among others.
The department, Mwakima said, has partnered with industries to ensure that courses being offered are industry driven in terms of the curriculum and placement.
The partnership will also enable learners to obtain industrial attachment. Since 2013, the government has invested Sh 36 billion in TVET institutions countrywide.
The money had been spent majorly on infrastructure growth and equipping them with modern facilities.
The investment will facilitate learners to pursue industrial courses besides boosting manufacturing which is one of the government’s Big Four agenda.
“The equipping of these polytechnics has prepared students with the skills required in the job market,” she said.
