NITA leading the way in industrial skill for Big 4 Agenda

Intensive work based training sessions on real and simulated equipment at NITA workshops towards Industry recognised National Trade Test Certificates.

By CS Labour and Social Protection.

Hon Amb Ukur Yatani

Industrial training will only remain relevant to the skills consumers only when it is alive to the dynamism of the technological trends.

It has to be informed by the labour market needs in content quality and adequacy for enhanced productivity.

Competing in today’s global economy requires agility in adaptation to the ever changing trends.

This complexity of the economic trends requires a robust policy making system to not only support active research and development but also in advancing technical and vocational skills.

The workforce has to be flexible and be able to multitask and easily adjust to rapid shifts in demand. That is is only possible with continual skilling and reskilling of the workforce.

There has to be deliberate efforts by industry players to invest in skills, being a vital enabler to the big 4.

A country’s economic growth and competitiveness must be oriented towards equipping and producing young people who have both strong foundational skills as well as specific skills acquired through skill upgrading to meet the demand for job-specific skills.

Policy makers and government agencies need to make skills development a common concern by supporting a pivotal role in realization of quality and adequate supply of skilled labor to be able to sustain economic growth.

Kenya is on the strategic path to realizing its economic development and growth agenda on a focused agenda dubbed “The Big Four”.

Enhancing skills goals to produce adequate and well trained manpower to drive the agenda is a key enabler to the gig 4.

NITA, through its sector training committees must ensure the skills imparted at the training institutions remain relevant to meet the skill needs of the industry at all costs.

The recent revival of the Rift Valley Textiles (RIVATEX) has placed the textile and apparel sector in a revamped position to enhance industrial growth for the locally manufactured fabrics. The government’s support to bring back the giant manufacturer will see increased need for more youth and women trained on apparel and textile programs. The National Industrial Training Authority’s (NITA) Textile Institute, currently training for the EPZA, has well-equipped workshops and industrial trainers to drive the skill needs at artisan and technician levels.

By The CAS Labour and Social Protection, Hon Abdul Bahari

NITA’s functions revolve around developing industrial training curricula; integration of labor market information into skills development, testing occupational skills and accrediting institutions engaged in skills training for industry.

Industrial training therefore plays a crucial role in the enabling the government’s big 4 agenda.

Any economy able to achieve adequate supply of the skilled manpower required by investors and the industry for development is on the right trajectory to industrialization.

Today’s global economy requires advanced, flexible and fungible skills. Workers must be able to adjust not only to domestic shifts in demand but also to what is happening in the global economy and labor market needs.

With the right skills in the workforce, industry players become more productive and competitive with growing GDP indicators and have more and better jobs created.

Building a robust and a broad pool of technical and vocation skills is a sure path to industrialization and support to the manufacturing sector.

The technical linkages with the industry has to be alive to the rapid technological changes to remain relevant to achieve the dynamism of the sector.

This means there has to be adequate collaboration between the industry and training institutions to churn out relevant practical skills for sector growth and steady industrialization.

By the PS Labour and Social Protection Eng. Peter K. Tum

Availability of the right skills in the workforce enhances productivity and competitiveness of an economy; since skills are an essential means of engaging the young innovative minds into more productive ventures, by not being job seekers but job creators as entrepreneurs.

Skills development is a cumulative and consultative process that occurs at every stage with reviews and deliberate inputs to remain relevant and meet the ever-changing technological trends.

Various trainer’s contributions to training content and guidelines involves multiple delivery mechanisms, and must constantly respond to changing occupational requirements.

An efficient skills development system embraces the entire spectrum of education and training and provides opportunities for lifelong learning as provided by the Kenya National Qualifications Framework.

Demand for skills in Kenya is affected by factors like economic changes, urbanization and the efforts to redirect the youth to embrace blue collar skills for the country’s medium- and long-term development goals.

Matching demand and supply is critical for an effective skills development system and depends on close coordination between government, the private sector and training providers.