By NEVILLE OTUKI, notuki@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- Students will be deployed to work as interns in counties far from their homes next year.
- The move aims at boosting national cohesion and rooting out ethnic-based rifts that have dogged the country while ensuring relevant skills are imparted to drive the economy.
Some 5,000 university students will be put on
internship in counties starting September in a new government programme
aimed at boosting competence and national cohesion.
Deputy President William Ruto Tuesday announced a further 15,000 students will be deployed to work as interns in counties far from their homes next year.
Deputy President William Ruto Tuesday announced a further 15,000 students will be deployed to work as interns in counties far from their homes next year.
The move, he said, aims at boosting national
cohesion and rooting out ethnic-based rifts that have dogged the country
while ensuring relevant skills are imparted to drive the economy.
“We will launch a volunteer programme for
university students where they will work in a different county from
theirs for six months,” said Mr Ruto during the launch of a mentorship
programme by Keroche Breweries in Nairobi on Tuesday.
“We have the first 5,000 students joining the
programme this September. This will help eliminate the ‘us’ versus
‘them’ mentality and instead be replaced with that of ‘my country.’’
Graduates have persistently raised concern over being shunned by employers for lack of job experience.
The new development offers students a huge
advantage in the face of the shrinking employment space. The Kenya
Industrial Training Institute meant to link learners with employers can
only absorb a small number of graduates for placement.
The State said that Kenya needs a competent pool
of workers to drive its development agenda towards becoming a
middle-income economy by 2030, thus the focus on university students.
Mr Ruto said that the government will set up 60
additional technical training institutions (TTIs) in the next financial
year, starting July to address skills shortage.
“We have budgeted to build 60 new technical training institutions,” said the Deputy President.
“We have agreed that the government will contribute Sh40 million.”
He said the State is seeking additional funds for the programme.
A recent audit revealed that Kenya is experiencing
a shortage of artisans of up to 450,000, prompting a strategic rethink,
he said. This is attributable to a shift of preference among students
who are now shunning technical education for perceived glamorous degree
courses.
Kenya is planning to build a standard gauge
railway from Mombasa to Malava, a project expected to expose the dire
shortage of technical skills.
The Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia (Lapsset) infrastructure project is equally set to stretch the available skills.
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