- Nandi Woman Representative Cynthia Muge has called for increased investment in technical and vocational education.
- She says practical skills can tackle unemployment while opening employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people.
- Muge also wants stronger partnerships between training institutions and industry to address changing labour-market needs.
Nandi Woman Representative Cynthia Muge has called for greater investment in technical and vocational education as a strategy to equip young people and workers with skills needed in a changing labour market.
Muge said vocational training should be given greater priority because practical skills could help reduce unemployment, improve livelihoods and stimulate local economic growth.
Speaking at Kaiboi National Polytechnic in Mosop Sub-County during a graduation ceremony for beneficiaries of an upskilling programme organised by the Tourism Fund in partnership with the institution, the legislator said the initiative had given experienced workers an opportunity to have their skills formally recognised.
She said many workers in the tourism and hospitality industry had accumulated years of practical experience but remained disadvantaged when seeking employment or career advancement because they lacked formal certification.
“This programme is important because it gives workers an opportunity to have the competencies they have acquired through years of experience assessed and formally recognised,” Muge said.
She urged the graduands to use the new qualifications to improve service delivery in the hospitality sector while exploring opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
Practical skills key to employment
Muge said institutions such as Kaiboi National Polytechnic had an important role to play in preparing young people for emerging opportunities, noting that academic qualifications alone were not sufficient in an economy increasingly driven by practical competencies.
She challenged the graduands to consider creating businesses and employment opportunities rather than relying solely on formal jobs.
The MP said tourism and hospitality had significant potential to create jobs and generate income if supported through skills development, innovation and investment.
She further urged tourism stakeholders to work closely with training institutions to ensure that courses offered were aligned with the needs of employers and emerging trends in the industry.
Muge noted that hospitality businesses had to continuously adapt to new technologies, changing customer expectations and evolving business practices.
She said Nandi had untapped tourism potential that could contribute significantly to the county’s economy if more attention was given to quality hospitality services and development of a skilled workforce.
The legislator challenged the graduands to become ambassadors of professionalism by applying their skills to improve customer experience and uphold high standards in the sector.
She said better hospitality services would not only strengthen individual businesses but also make Nandi more attractive to visitors and potential investors.
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The upskilling programme also demonstrated the importance of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), allowing experienced workers to obtain certification without necessarily starting conventional training afresh.
Adrian Biwott
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Nandi Woman Representative Cynthia Muge addresses graduands at Kaiboi National Polytechnic in Mosop Sub-County during a graduation ceremony for beneficiaries of a Tourism Fund-supported upskilling programme.
