Fredrick Odiero
Kisumu County has established five new Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), thus increasing the number of the institutions from 21 to 26. They are Kandaria, Kochogo, Withur, Obwolo and Kianja.
County Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o said the development has led to increased enrolment in VTCs from 3100 to 4000 trainees.
The governor said they procured teaching and learning materials through centre managers for all the VTCs in the Financial Year 2020/2021 through capitation.
He said 20 of the VTCs have been registered by the TVETA Authority, and 6 are in the process of being registered.
The governor said that in a campaign to reduce drop out rates by teen mothers, they established five childcare centres where teen and young mothers who desire to acquire skills leave babies to be taken care of within the new institutions.
To ensure all students joining secondary schools and later proceed to institutions such as the Kisumu National Polytechnic, Nyong’o said his administration has been consistent in the issuance of bursaries and scholarships.
He divulged that in the FY 2020/2021, they disbursed Shs.205,000,000 in form of bursaries and scholarships to needy students in high schools and colleges, adding that in the last month alone, they gave Sh.102m for the first quarter.
Nyong’o said the beneficiaries increased from 33,403 in 2019/2020 to 36,259 in 2020/2021, which translates to a 9% growth.
He said they were now giving bursaries to those seeking to take up Marine Studies at the recently launched marine school.
“We have 70 beneficiaries, two from each of the 35 wards,” he said.
He urged the national government and international development partners to continue supporting technical and vocational education.
