Kisumu:The Kisumu County Government has allocated Sh38 million for equipment in Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) throughout the county, as announced by Governor Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o. This investment includes Sh20 million worth of tools and equipment recently flagged off to equip local VTCs, building on a previous allocation of Sh18 million from last year aimed at enhancing 28 VTCs across the county.
According to Kenya News Agency, Governor Nyong’o emphasized that this funding is part of a continuous, planned effort to boost vocational training, which aims to equip young people with practical skills necessary for economic opportunities. The VTC network in the county has expanded from 28 to 30 centers, with new additions such as St. Michael Mariwa in Koru, Muhoroni, and Sang’oro in West Nyakach.
Currently, over 6,500 young individuals are enrolled in Kisumu’s VTCs, gaining skills in various trades such as electrical installation, welding, tailoring, masonry, ICT, agripreneurship, and plumbing. Nyong’o noted the increasing demand for skilled labor in the face of declining formal employment opportunities worldwide.
To encourage enrollment, the county offers a Sh15,000 subsidy per student and has allocated Sh11.9 million for VTC bursaries to ensure no young person is excluded from training due to financial constraints. However, there is a significant shortage of trainers, with only 97 in place against a requirement of 384. Plans are underway to recruit 25 trainers annually until the gap is filled.
The governor also highlighted the support from various development partners such as Pratham International, Comundo from Switzerland, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST), Tools to Work, Ujima, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) in bolstering the county’s vocational training program.
Kisumu County currently manages 28 public VTCs, alongside major institutions like The Kisumu National Polytechnic and the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT), contributing to an overall TVET student population of approximately 20,814 in the county. The expanding TVET sector in Kenya now encompasses over 3,100 institutions, with enrollment rising to 1.2 million learners.
