Go For Market-Driven Technical Courses To Improve Employability, Beat Joblessness, Youth Urged
Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia hands over an employment letter to a newly recruited teacher at Kamwangi
By Kamau John
Worth Noting:
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Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia said that youths seeking to advance their education must be guided to make the right choice on the courses they want to pursue noting that the country has millions of jobless graduates due to wrong choices of courses.
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The MP noted that most courses being offered in higher learning institutions have been rendered unmarketable by technological advancements including Artificial Intelligence.
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Speaking while presenting employment letters to 10 newly recruited teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) at Kamwangi town, Kururia maintained that for the youth to fit in the job market, they must consider pursuing market-driven technical courses.
Technical skills are the best shot to addressing joblessness among youths and steering the country’s economic development, leaders and experts have said.
They maintain that parents and youth 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 industrialized, middle income country.
They raised concerns that Universities are churning out thousands of graduates every year who end up jobless due to the courses they studied.
Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia said that youths seeking to advance their education must be guided to make the right choice on the courses they want to pursue noting that the country has millions of jobless graduates due to wrong choices of courses.
The MP noted that most courses being offered in higher learning institutions have been rendered unmarketable by technological advancements including Artificial Intelligence.
Speaking while presenting employment letters to 10 newly recruited teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) at Kamwangi town, Kururia maintained that for the youth to fit in the job market, they must consider pursuing market-driven technical courses.
“Even teachers have been tarmacking for years without getting a proper job with good terms. But those who acquired technical skills have never lacked a job and some of them have even gone ahead to establish their own enterprises,” Kururia said.
Other experts led by Gorgeous Technical Institute Director Jackline Waithera called on youth across the country to go for the highly marketable world skills including fashion and design, electrical installation, welding, plumbing, hospitality, hairdressing and beauty and entrepreneurship among others to enable them meet the high demand of specialists in the country.
Waithera in an interview noted with concern that the country is facing a shortage of skilled manpower to power the economy adding that this creates a noble opportunity for unemployed youths in the country to acquire the vital skills and secure jobs.
“The goal is to achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth as a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and under employment. 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 Director said.
She hailed the Kenya Kwanza administration led by President William Ruto for its efforts in seeking job opportunities abroad for the Kenyan youths saying that exportation of skilled labour will help boost technical training in the country.
Waithera also rooted for partnership 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 the roles such as providing digital infrastructure, providing procurement opportunities and 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
She at the same time 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 in seeking self-employment.
“It’s imperative for youths to be equipped with hands-on skills that will go a long way in enabling them 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,” she said.
She also challenged graduates with degrees to enroll for technical short courses to improve their employability.
Kelvin Makumi, a student pursuing hairdressing and beauty at the institution noted that he decided to enroll for the vocational course after tarmacking for years despite having graduated with an IT degree from a local university.
Robert Ngugi, a teacher who received his employment letter on Permanent and Pensionable terms affirmed that the country is in a joblessness crisis. He has worked as a teacher in a local school employed by the school’s Board of Management for the last 10 years.
“I’d also encourage fellow youths to consider going for vocational training even if they have completed their University studies. These skills are vital and will give them a competitive edge in the job market,” Ngugi said.
Meanwhile, Kururia hailed the government for employing the teachers noting that they will play a key role in addressing teacher shortage in Gatundu North.
Some schools in the constituency including MIIRI primary school have few teachers, which has affected education quality for learners.
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