As unemployment rates continue to bite the country, many university graduates are now turning to technical colleges to acquire skills via hands-on training that will guarantee them jobs.
During a graduation ceremony at a Plant Operating college in Kithimani, Yatta Sub County, it emerged that out of the 200 graduates, more than 20 are university graduates.
Peris Wanjiru and Kurgat Kadime are among dozens of graduates who completed their University education at Mt. Kenya University and have since taken up the Plant Operator courses at the Kilimambogo Highway Building and Technology College.
They said they enrolled at the Tvet since it was the only way they were assured of getting jobs.
They shared their experience of tarmacking for years and added that getting a job without requisite skills has proved to be an uphill task.
“After tarmacking for years, I gave up on searching for white-collar jobs and joined the Tvet to get hands-on training to be marketable,” said Wanjiru.
Kadime, who comes from Kajiado County, said he chose to train as a plant operator given that there are few people in that profession in the County.
“In our County, we have very few plant operators and I hope to get a job soon. This is unlike having only a degree course that can’t take me anywhere,” Kadime said.
Bani Muhachi, another graduate from the Coast called on President William Ruto to consider negotiating for employment opportunities for the youth in his bilateral labor deals with foreign countries as one way of addressing the country’s unemployment crisis.
Douglas Kibe who was the Chief Guest said having hands-on and marketable skills will not only help the graduates to get jobs but also help the country in infrastructural development.
He noted with concern the need to move from formal and theoretical education and focus on skill-based learning to drive the country into an industrialized and developed economy.
He said the establishment of devolved units has tremendously opened doors for youths with such skills with the National Government embarking on all these infrastructural development works.
“There has been a great need for technical expertise where the government has been relying on the services from abroad but this is slowly diminishing with young Kenyans equipping themselves with the necessary skills.
By Muoki Charles
