- Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a says short technical courses can equip young people with highly marketable skills.
- She has urged parents and youths to embrace TVET as a viable pathway alongside university education.
- About 300 beneficiaries graduated from short courses organised through partnerships between Thika NG-CDF and local colleges.
Short courses are the best shot at addressing joblessness among youths and steering the country’s economic development, Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a has said.
The lawmaker said parents and youths must explore Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a viable alternative to university education, noting that technical skills are playing a pivotal role in transforming Kenya into an industrialised, middle-income country.
She called on youths across the country to go for highly marketable skills, including fashion and design, electrical installation, welding, plumbing, hospitality, hairdressing and beauty, and entrepreneurship, among others, to enable them to meet the high demand for specialists in the country.
She spoke during the graduation ceremony of some 300 beneficiaries of a short courses programme organised by the Thika National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in partnership with colleges within Thika Constituency at Pavilion Grounds.
Ng’ang’a, who is eyeing the Kiambu County gubernatorial seat in next year’s election, noted with concern that the country is facing a shortage of skilled manpower to power the economy, adding that this creates an opportunity for unemployed youths to acquire vital skills and secure jobs. Ng’ang’a has publicly signalled her intention to contest the Kiambu governorship in 2027.
“The goal is to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth as a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and underemployment. Technical skills and/or courses are highly marketable as one can immediately secure a job upon completion and/or start their own income-generating enterprises,” the MP said.
She hailed the Kenya Kwanza administration led by President William Ruto for its efforts in seeking job opportunities abroad for Kenyan youths, saying that the export of skilled labour will help boost technical training in the country.
She also rooted for partnerships between the government and the private sector in promoting vocational skills in the country by assimilating trained youths into the job market.
For the government, she highlighted roles such as providing digital infrastructure, procurement opportunities, financing or payment frameworks, as well as friendly policies to facilitate entrepreneurship.
“This is not just a role of the government but also the private sector and development partners working closely with academia,” she said.
Additional skills
Her sentiments were echoed by Gorgeous Technical Institute Director Jackie Kibutha, who challenged youths studying in technical colleges to be more aggressive in acquiring additional skills such as business management and computer studies so as to have a head start in both the job market and self-employment.
She reiterated that technical knowledge among youngsters is the surest way to alleviate the joblessness crisis in the country.
“It’s imperative for youths to be equipped with hands-on skills that will go a long way in enabling them to secure jobs or start their own ventures. White-collar jobs are drastically shrinking and are being taken up by technological advancements. To beat joblessness, we must equip our youths with technical skills,” Kibutha said.
She noted with concern that the unemployment crisis has compelled many youths to indulge in drug abuse, a challenge that requires urgent interventions.
“Offering the right training and funding the youth to establish income-generating projects will help the government halfway solve joblessness challenges,” she said.
She also asserted that equipping youths with technical skills will keep them away from drugs and substance abuse.
Kibutha, at the same time, challenged graduates with degrees to enrol for technical short courses to improve their employability.
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Wambui Wangui, who graduated with a short course in bakery, termed it a shot in the arm, noting that she will be able to start her own cake-making shop and hopes to generate a decent income.
By John Kamau
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