Mathioya MP urges youths to join TVETS

Murang’a,

Saturday, January 27 2024

KNA by Purity Mugo

Mathioya Member of Parliament (MP) Edwin Mugo, has urged young people to enroll in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) centres to gain income-generating skills.

Speaking at Mathioya Technical and Vocational Centre where he donated two old NGCDF vehicles to the school for use in training, the MP underscored the importance of technical skills in solving the unemployment crisis.

 “The vehicles we have donated will help the students during practical lessons and help them acquire the required skills for the job market,” Mugo said.

 “The school has state-of-the-art facilities for teaching mechanics and other skills and the two vehicles will help in training qualified modern mechanics who can use the skills to earn a living,” he added.

Mugo said that to further encourage the students, contractors working for the NGCDF would prioritise students from Mathioya Technical Institution for internship opportunities in all ongoing projects in the constituency.

“These internship opportunities will help the students gain job market experience and it will also give them some income,” he stated

 The MP expressed the government’s commitment to supporting students taking part in the Ajira Digital programme to learn skills required for online jobs and encouraged more students to learn the skills required to make money online.

“With the Ajira Digital programme, students are already earning so much money and I encourage even more students to take advantage of the program and earn,” he said, adding that he would liaise with the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy to ensure the students do not miss out on the online opportunities

The MP further offered bursaries worth Sh4million to the institution that would fully sponsor needy students for short courses.

  “Let parents enroll their children to learn important skills and take advantage of the available bursaries so that we can grow our constituency,” he said.

 The MP also took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new administration block saying he had already allocated Sh4 million to the project and that he would allocate more funds in the coming financial year.

Mathioya Technical Centre Principal Grace Bora encouraged all youths even those in universities and those awaiting to join universities to enroll in short courses that could help them earn an income even as they studied.

“Short courses are beneficial to everyone, not just to those who do not qualify for university and therefore all young people should embrace them,” Bora said adding courses like mechanics and plumbing were very marketable.

She further explained that there were government scholarships available and student loans from the Higher Education Loans Board that would ease the financial burden on parents intending to enroll their children or self-sponsored youths.

She noted that the availability of such institutions that helped young people earn a living were a great tool in the fight against alcohol and drug abuse as they gave the youth marketable income-generating skills.

She urged all youths who need to learn skills to earn a living including those who dropped out of basic education to join TVETs as there are no minimum qualifications required.

Courtesy; KNA