Students from the Thika Technical and Vocational Training Centre will now start assembling vehicle body parts, exposing them to skills to drive the automotive industry locally.
Through a collaborative effort between the Kenyan and German governments, the students will study auto-body building courses to become technically innovative in vehicle assembly.
Other courses that have been introduced through the programme in selected Tvets include Industrial Mechatronics, Automotive Mechatronics, and Auto-body building and welding and will see students trained on vehicle engine assembly.
Once they complete the Diploma course, the students will acquire a Kenyan and German certificate.
John Tuwei, Deputy Director Tvet said the courses will expose the youth to the manufacturing sector and enable them drive the industrial agenda necessary in growing economies.
Speaking during a groundbreaking ceremony for a workshop that will be offering the courses at the institution yesterday, Tuwei said students will not only become innovative but also become entrepreneurs.
“Our students will become well versed on Technical and Entrepreneurship competencies relevant to the labour market locally and globally. They will also drive the industrial and manufacturing agenda,” he said.
The representative of Germany KFW Bank, one of the financial partners of the project Benjamin Graedler said 350 students will be trained in the first phase.
He called on the government to equip the seven Tvet centres adding that they hope to increase the number of the Tvets offering the courses in the second phases next year.
“Tvets will remain the main path in making young people actively become the workforce. This will drive the country in the manufacturing sector and enable the youth to become technically skilled in driving the agenda,” said Graedler.
Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a said the new facility will enable local youth to drive the agenda of making the town the industrial town that it was years ago.
She termed it a milestone saying equipping the youth with technical skills will end unemployment and increase entrepreneurship.
She called on youth to consider enrolling with the Tvet and become part of the manufacturing agenda of the constituency.
Thika town has an advantage of having a branch of the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers company (KVM) that assembles vehicles, a boost in offering the youth skills in vehicle assembly.
“Being the host to KVM and now the TTI auto-body making workshops, our youths will have the technical skills needed for vehicle assembly and in the industrial sector,” said the MP.
By Muoki Charles
