By Asa Maina
Men shone in matters of innovation during a contest for over 39 TVET institutions held in Nyeri County.
Nyeri Governor, Mutahi Kahiga, observed that ladies were missing in the top six out of the 20 innovators awarded.
He blamed this on the tradition where the community pushes the girl child to the periphery in matters technical, innovation and sciences.
Kahiga told the community to do away with the perception that women are only good in arts and in the kitchen and urged his officials to encourage them to participate in matters technical, innovation and sciences.
“I think it is important that we all agree that while men will bring strength to a project, girls and women will bring in flair and aesthetics,” he said.
He spoke during the Nyeri county TVETs innovation award ceremony outside Nyeri town hall that was organized by Gender, Youth and Social Services.
The event was a pilot project meant to improve employability soft skills for TVET graduands.
The soft skills included critical thinking, problem solving, job search and other transferable skills such as communication, confidence building, financial and entrepreneurial skills to help them undergo smooth education- to- employability transitions.
This programme, he said, will encourage creativity and innovativeness among graduands.
The event, held in collaboration with the Finish Embassy through Help Self Help, saw 250 TVET institutions graduands and innovators awarded with certificates and Cash prizes.
The trainees had been picked from all Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) from the county where 30 TOTs were engaged in training them.
“We had a team of about 20 innovators who participated in our innovation competition where we had a total price value of about Sh0.5 million and today the winner is going to take Sh 150,000 home to go and progress to the next level in terms of their innovation,” he said.
The governor said in the 21 century, skills are key in the lives of individuals saying learners should learn life skills to complement their academic paperwork.
“I think we must endeavour to learn new skills. We must go out of our way and even with our degrees, learn skills offered by TVET institutions,” he said.
The aim of the initiative was to equip and provide TVET graduands with necessary skills and opportunities to find or create decent jobs.
Mukurwe-ini TTI Principal Patrick Muchemi lauded the initiative saying the government has invested a lot in TVET institutions and therefore learners must be given the chance to showcase their innovations based on what they learn.
The manager of Nairutia Youth Polytechnic Simon Munyaka said the provision of modern equipment by the government to the institutions has enabled learners to interact with the modern tools.
Naftal Mutahi from Help Self Help Center said trainees had gone through the academic work and needed empowerment on employability skills.
