CS Ogamba Urges Youth to Pursue Job Opportunities Abroad.
The Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba, has encouraged skilled youth to explore employment opportunities abroad as a strategic approach to addressing the rising unemployment rate in the country.
Ogamba emphasized that technical and vocational education plays a crucial role in strengthening a nation’s economy.
While addressing graduates at Ol’lessos National Polytechnic in Nandi County, CS Ogamba highlighted that the Kenya Kwanza government acknowledges the significance of Technical and Vocational Training Colleges (TVETs) in equipping youth with essential technical expertise and the right attitudes to enhance their competitiveness in the job market, including self-employment.
He further stated that the Ministry has developed a competency-based TVET curriculum incorporating a dual training policy. Under this system, trainees spend half of their study period in college, while the other half is dedicated to practical training within the industry.
This approach ensures that graduates acquire hands-on experience in their respective fields, making them well-prepared for both local and international employment opportunities.
The CS pointed out that initiatives such as the Affordable Housing projects and the establishment of industrial parks in different regions serve as vital platforms for TVET students to gain practical industrial skills that should be fully utilized.
He elaborated that the curriculum enables learners to progress at their own pace within a specific training level.
The Ministry, he noted, has recognized that industries have access to a skilled workforce that gains expertise through apprenticeship programs. As a result, the government has taken steps to enroll up to one million students in TVET institutions this year to support this initiative.
“This curriculum provides an opportunity for learners to acquire training milestones at their own base in a given level. As a Ministry, we have recognised the reality that the industry has an accessible skilled workforce that obtains their skills through apprentices,” explained Ogamba.
Additionally, he stated that mechanisms have been put in place to identify, assess, and certify the skills and competencies of 3.8 million individuals who have acquired their expertise through informal sectors across Kenya.
Seize International Employment Opportunities
Principal Secretary for the State Department of Technical and Vocational Training, Esther Mworia, reiterated that TVETs have become key centers for assessing candidates for overseas employment.
She urged young people to capitalize on these opportunities, as the global labor market demands skilled workers, thereby helping to mitigate the unemployment crisis in Kenya.
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Mworia cited a recent recruitment exercise at Kiambu National Polytechnic, where over 700 skilled youth secured foreign jobs. She assured that the government is actively ensuring the welfare of Kenyans working abroad and urged more youth to embrace international employment prospects.
She concluded by encouraging young people to consider working in foreign countries where opportunities are more abundant than in Kenya.
CS Ogamba Urges Youth to Pursue Job Opportunities Abroad
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