Our young people should choose willingly to have skills to enable them to get employed, self-employed and create employment, Devolution PS Teresia Mbaika has said.
Mbaika said this is due to the fact that white-collar jobs are currently limited in the country, hence the need to embrace courses offered in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions.
She said this would enable the youth to acquire technical skills which will enable them to enjoy opportunities presented by devolution.
“There was a time when all of us used to go to major towns in search of opportunities. But, with devolution, since it works on the principle of devolving power and resources to the lowest; that’s why we are saying, you don’t need to travel to Nairobi or Machakos for opportunities.” Mbaika said.
Mbaika addressed the press in Machakos County on Friday.
Technical and vocational education and training is an education that in addition to the general education equips students with the required employment-related technical and scientific knowledge and skills to become successful in the labour market.
She said devolution had made opportunities available even at the lowest levels in the villages.
“We have lots of opportunities because that’s what devolution meant to provide to communities. We have seen the fruits of devolution,” Mbaika said.
Mbaika said devolution had seen development in the least expected areas across the country.
“We as a government believe that with more devolution of resources and opportunities in the 47 counties, we shall have more of these fruits of devolution we are seeing,” she said.
She said all Kenyans can’t fit in offices.
Mbaika said most young people apparently opt not to join universities and instead enrol in TVETs to have skills for livelihoods.
“That’s what we want to encourage a lot of our population across the board to do. Looking at the programs we have in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, one of them being housing, that’s a big thing as an administration we are looking at skills we need in that space. As much as we want experts, we also want skills that are required from our TVET institutions and we are going to progress with this program,” she said.
She mentioned digital space as another area, which President William Ruto’s administration was keen on promoting alongside agricultural sector among others.
Mbaika cautioned youth against engaging in drugs and substance abuse, stating that they were ruining their own lives for no reason.
“It’s immoral; it isn’t right. Just keep off drugs since you will destroy your promising future lives,” she said.
She also cautioned girls against engaging in pre-mature sexual activities leading to early pregnancies.
“As a leadership, guardians and parents, we need to talk to our children, come up with laws and policies that guard our young people from these vices, including early pregnancies among our school-going girls,” Mbaika said.