Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has reiterated the government’s strategic focus and investment in Technical Voluntary Education and Training (TVET), maintaining it is the engine that will transform the economy.
Ogamba, who spoke during the first graduation ceremony at the Maasai Mara TVET today, underscored the critical role played by the engineers, plumbers, automotive technicians, and hospitality experts whose skills are dire in building the nation.
‘The skills you have learnt put you in the driver’s seat of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. This agenda is about creating jobs at the grassroots, revitalising industries, and ensuring that every Kenyan, no matter where they come from, can contribute to and benefit from economic growth,’ he said.
He encouraged the graduands to be innovative and create their own jobs further, asking them to use the skills for positive development.
‘The world needs innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders, and I have no doubt that this College has
prepared you to be just that,’ he said.
The CS noted that the ministry had officially started the posting exercise of 2,000 TVET trainers recruited for the institutions around the country to help address the shortage of trainers that has been affecting training in the TVET institutions.
‘We are working to progressively bridge the gap and to achieve the ideal trainer-to-trainee ratio. Similarly, the Government has made significant investments in the digitalisation of education through the JITUME Programme,’ he underscored.
The CS also lauded the university workers’ unions, that is, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), for agreeing to end their strike and to return to work.
During the event, CS Ogamba commissioned five lecture halls built by the government to boost the learning environment in the institution.
Narok Deputy Governor Tamalinye Koech, who represented the governor, asked the community to take advantage of the TVET and enrol their children f
or higher learning.
He said the government had established the institution to ensure that even those who dropped out of school could acquire technical skills that would help them earn a living.
His sentiments were echoed by Narok County Commissioner Kipkech Lotiatia, who called on the locals to embrace TVET institutions in their localities in order to gain skills that will help them boost their livelihoods.
During the event, over 900 graduands were awarded certificates and diplomas in their areas of specialisation.
The university has a population of 2000 students who are currently in session and another 1000 out on industrial attachment.
Among the students are 216 National Youth Service (NYS) servicemen who are doing professional courses at the institution.
Source: Kenya News Agency