Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has designated the acquisition of technical and vocational training as essential to the county’s socioeconomic development.
Achani has stated that technical and vocational education is essential for all-around development, observing that young people should pursue technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in order to acquire practical skills that will improve their socioeconomic standing.
In an effort to address the growing shortage of skilled labor in the county, the governor stated that her administration is shifting its focus to the provision of technical skills, adding that young people should value technical and vocational skills more than white collar jobs.
Achani simultaneously inaugurated the Kamale ECD and Kamale Polytechnic girls’ hostels in the Samburu/Chengoni constituency of the Samburu sub-county.
She stated that the female dormitory at Kamale Polytechnic can accommodate 48 students in 16 cubicles.
“As a devolved unit, we aim to maximize the potential of vocational and technical education and contribute to the growth of the local economy,” she said, adding that youth should embrace vocational and technical education to reduce poverty and unemployment.
She stated that residents should reject the false notion that vocational courses are designed for students who failed to graduate from secondary school with excellent grades.
Achani continued by stating that enrollment in technical colleges reduces youth apathy, thereby decreasing their involvement in crime and substance abuse.
She stated that the county would continue to create opportunities in the TVET sector so that more young people could acquire practical skills such as auto mechanics, carpentry, welding, and masonry, among others.
She added that the county would provide the youth with start-up equipment upon completion of technical and vocational programs.
The Governor stated that the majority of village vocational training institutes are outfitted with state-of-the-art machinery and tools to facilitate practical training and the acquisition of skills.
The governor, who was present with Kwale Women Representative Fatuma Masito, vowed that her administration would continue to fund technical and vocational education in order to promote local economic development.
Achani stated that since the inception of devolution in 2013, the devolved government has constructed 41 technical and vocational training centers to assist local youth acquire practical skills for the labor market and independence.
The purpose of the empowerment programs and infrastructure development, according to the county administrator, was to make the county’s adolescents employable in a competitive labor market.
Masito, for her part, praised the governor for reviving technical education for human capital development in the coastal county.
Masito stated that it was regrettable that some of the region’s youth did not value or pursue vocational and technical education.
She has emphasized the importance of youths in the region embracing vocational training and technical skills rather than desperately pursuing academic credentials for elusive white-collar employment.
Masito urged young people not to disregard technical and vocational education, as it has an opportunity to provide them with the skills necessary for self-employment.
