Deputy President William Ruto has asked employers to pay workers who do technical jobs better.
He decried the situation where workers in the manufacturing, mining, food processing, oil, construction, and mechanical field are paid poorly.
The DP on Wednesday said technical jobs have a poor reputation "because their value is not often reflected in the remuneration of workers."
"Blue collar jobs are not automatic minimum wage positions," he said during the launch of TVET policy framework at the Kenya Technical Trainers College in Gigiri.
The new framework will guide the new Competency-Based Education Training Curriculum in all Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions.
Ruto said the new curriculum will help reduce the training gap, develop young professionals and enhance TVET learning.
"When we send you competent young people, let their value be reflected in their pay," he told employers.
The DP said technical training is vital for the country's economic growth.
Ruto said admission to TVET institutions had increased to 90,000 this year surpassing that of universities which stands at 60,000.
He said the government is doing more to admit more students by enhancing the bursary to Sh30,000 per student annually and a loan of Sh40,000 per year.
"We had discovered that it was more expensive to go to a TVET institution than a university and sometimes it took longer to join a TVET school. How crazy can it be?" he posed.
Ruto, however, said that for a long time the society had condemned technical schooling and work as for failures.
"I say this as former minister of Education, we have run an education system that condemns 70 per cent of our students as failures and that is a society destined to fail," he said.
Noting that the country plans to grow local manufacturing GDP from 9 per cent to 15 per cent, the DP said the youth will be empowered with competency skills to run the economy.
He said the government is hoping to see 100 new SMEs in the agro- processing space this year.
On the new curriculum, he said the Kenya National Qualification Authority will recognise the competency-based modules as national qualifications.
Ruto urged the Ministry of Education to equip the trainers in the TVET institutions.
He further wished all KCPE and KCSE candidates the best in their examinations.
"It is my prayer that in a few months we will celebrate a record performance of classes of 2018," the Deputy President said.
