County Governments urged to come up strategies to ensure Vocational Training Centers are well managed.

 Graduands of Ahero Vocational Training Center pose for a group photo with the CEC in charge of education in Kisumu County Dr. John Obiero Ogone{With gown on the left} and the Center Manager Martin Owino-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo.

October 24, 2018.

County Governments urged to come up strategies to ensure Vocational Training Centers are well managed.

THE County Governments across the country have been urged to come up with strategies to ensure good management of the various vocational training centers across the county.

Chairman of the Vocational Training Centers managers in Kisumu County Martin Owino says the County Governments should ensure that there are good strategies which can help in bringing sound management in the various vocational Training Centers established in the counties.

Addressing the gathering during the third graduation Ceremony of Ahero Vocational Training Center within Nyando Sub-County, Owino who is also the Center Manager  for Ahero Vocational Training Center says if good strategies are put in place then this will be better for training of the youth in various centers within the counties they are established.

He says the promulgation of the constitution in the year 2010 and the creation of County Governments in 2012 hence making vocational training a devolved function to the county Governments.

He says lack of coherent strategies has led to situations where some counties invest heavily in the Vocational Training Centers while others ignore them completely.

“This situation has increased problems that already existed, like the poor perception the general public has towards vocational training centers as ‘education for failures’,” Owino says.

He further says the world is heading to the fourth Industrial revolution that is digital revolution anchored on de-commoditization of economies.

“It is knowledge based economy which puts premium on the skills of the innovators and the owners of the Capital,” he adds.

The Chair of the Vocational Training Center Managers suggests that for the Country to reap maximum benefit, its education system needs a complete overhaul.

“It is estimated that 35% of the current professions would be gone by the year 2035, either because human beings have been replaced by machines and robots or skills are no longer required,” Owino further adds.

He says such a scenario will exacerbate class inequalities as the economic gap between the digitally skilled and the unskilled widens which is not only bad for prosperity but poses a significant national security challenges as a vast majority of the potential workers misses in the economic activities due to lack of skills.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member in charge of Education, ICT and Human Resource Development Dr. John Obiero Ogone who presided over the graduation ceremony said the county Government of Kisumu has embarked on building and equipping vocational training centers within the county.

Ogone said the County Government of Kisumu has already enrolled 875 students to as trainees in the various vocational training centers within Kisumu County.

He said shs 27,000 has been paid to each of the student who have been admitted at the various Vocational Training Centers.

During the graduation ceremony of the Ahero Vocational Training Center, a total of 233 graduated in various fields that include Building technology, electrical and electronic technology, Hair Dressing and Beauty Therapy, Fashion Design and Garment making, ICT, Food Processing Technology, Metal Processing Technology and Motor Vehicle Technology.

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