Kenya benefits from Sh30b W Bank kitty

Kisumu National polytechnic student undergoing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes at the institution. [Photo: Collins Oduor, Standard]

Kenya is one the beneficiaries of Sh30 billion financing approved by the World Bank yesterday for three East African countries.

The funds - in credit and grants - are expected to help increase access to technical training and to support regional integration across East African countries.

The other beneficiaries are Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Given under the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), Kenya will use the funds to support demand-driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes for technician training.

“Shortage of specialised technical and vocational education and training is particularly acute in transport, energy, manufacturing and ICT. If not addressed, the skills gap could seriously dampen the industrialisation and integration agenda in East Africa,” said Xiaoyan Liang, World Bank lead education specialist and team leader for the project.

In his Big Four agenda in which he plans to achieve job creation as one of his four goals, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration targets to revamp technical training to unleash marketable skills into the manufacturing sector.

To achieve its goal of creating jobs, the Government has cast its eyes on improving and expanding the industry-led TVET colleges and universities in order to equip the youth with relevant skills required to drive the industrialisation agenda. 

“The Government’s strategy will involve the construction of more technical and vocational colleges in all the 290 Constituencies and equipping them with appropriate training equipment,” said Treasury in the Budget Policy Statement, 2018.

The Government will also develop more skilled and competitive workers through the planned “paid for”internship programme that will lead.  to the absorption of more than  100,000  youths into the job market every year, according to Treasury.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that the number of registered TVET institutions increased substantially by 50.9 per cent to 1,962 in last year.