The Government is refurbishing four Special Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions for the physically challenged at a total cost of Sh.800 million to promote equity and participation in the sector.
The Principal Secretary (PS), Ministry of Education, State Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Dr. Margaret Mwakima, reiterated the government’s commitment to mainstream special needs in all TVET institutions, to enable persons who are differently abled, join any TVET institution and receive skills without encountering any challenges.
“Support for TVET special needs is a wider government objective, to increase access and participation in TVET programmes by the youth, irrespective of their physical status,” said Mwakima.
She added that the high participation of persons with disabilities in the programmes was a government strategy to promote equity in the provision of skills acquisition for both gainful and self-employment for social-economic empowerment.
The PS who was speaking at the Karen Technical Training Institute for the deaf, Wednesday, where she commissioned a tuition complex blocks, four classrooms and two hostels for men and women
The Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf, being one of the four special needs in TVET benefiting from government of Kenya and Africa Development Bank (AfDB) TVET phase II project, received a total of Sh.288,648,201.00 for the construction of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department and twin hostels as well as equipping them with assistive devices.
Susan Olang’o, Senior Social Development Officer, African Development Bank, said the AfDB is keen on skills development, to support employability of the youth and help them become job creators.
The Principal, Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf, Tecla Chemobo, said that the tuition complex, hostels and equipment, was crucial as the students need decent and modern facilities for learning.
“We believe that the construction and completion of this GoK – AfDB Tuition Complex, will herald future magnificent and high-tech infrastructure facilities that will put Karen Technical Training Institute for the deaf at per with other well equipped TVET Institutions in the country,” she said.
The Kenya Vision 2030 and the government ‘Big 4’ Agenda, envisage the TVET sector, a key driving force to transform Kenya into an industrialized, middle-income country, that provides high quality of life to all its citizens, in a clean and secure environment.
By Hamdi Mohamud
