The academia, industry and government have expressed their quest to forge a collaboration that will see Kenya propel industrial development and empower the youth economically.
The Principal Secretary State Department of for Industrialization Amb. Kirimi Kaberia said the collaboration between the university-industry-government is increasingly gaining prominence the world over as it has proved to be the most effective, efficient and preferred development model.
He said through the model, industrial needs and strategies have been identified and defined thereby culminating in spin-off and start-up enterprises, as well as created life projects and the transfer of latest scientific research to industry.
Kaberia said there is need for academia to address the skills need for industry and provide solutions to the challenges confronting the society, to reach out to policy makers and provide fact-based policy briefs which inform effective policy formulation.
He said “through such engagements, industry and government should step into the halls of academia and test policies and innovations while sharing suggestions on how academia can improve course content and quality in response to changing times.”
The PS was speaking during this year’s International Youth Day Celebrations 2021 organized by the State Department for Industrialization in conjunction with the University of Nairobi that was held at the University.
He said the engagement was important as it would convert the university into an environment of providers of ideas and opportunities that create products, jobs and solutions to the challenges facing the society, to improve course content and quality other than a source of job seekers.
Kaberia who challenged the academia to join the industry-government in initiating a ‘County Entrepreneurship Monitor’ which would compare entrepreneurial activities among the counties in Kenya, noted that the collaboration would enhance socio-economic development, job creation and eradicate poverty.
“There is need to encourage the drive to venture into business as a strategy of increasing the number of business that are conceived, start, grow and expand,” added Kaberia.
He said the loss of jobs and revenue as taxes for the government occasioned by the Covid -19 pandemic should not make Kenyans slumber but instead people should come up with innovative ideas and strategies that would strengthen the country’s industries for self-sufficiency and exports.
By Bernadette Khaduli
