For many years village youth polytechnics have been perceived to be places for people who failed exams or dropped out of school because of one reason or the other.
But it is now emerging that the situation is totally different in the reformed and refurbished centers that are now known as vocational training centers that major in training youths and even adults in various technical skills.
The youth polytechnics that are being heavily funded by both county and national governments have greatly improved in the aspects of infrastructure and equipment despite the slow acceptance of the fact that they are not meant for failures.
In Trans Nzoia county for instance the county government has spent over Ksh. 90 million to build at least one youth polytechnic in each of the 25 wards of Trans Nzoia County and set aside more funds to equip them with necessary equipment according to the courses that each of them offers.
According to the county executive committee – CEC member for education and ICT Dr. Isaac Kogo the county government has constructed two twin workshops in each of the 25 centers and equipped them with modern equipment relevant with the courses.
Kogo told www.westfm.co.ke that the move was aimed at bringing the learning centers closer to the wananchi so that the youth and other interested people can access the trainings without travelling long distances.
However the volunteer instructors shall also be taken by the county government for induction and refresher trainings to be updated with the new things that have been introduced in different technical courses.
Apart from constructing and equipping the centers, the devolved government has also initiated a bursary fund for the students who join the youth polytechnics whereby 30% of funds set aside for bursaries in Trans Nzoia are allocated to students in youth polytechnics.
“We have set aside 30% of our bursary funds at the county to students in youth polytechnics hence they cannot fail to pursue their preferred courses for lack of school fees,” said Kogo in an interview with www.westfm.co.ke in his office.
The CEC further revealed that the county government has several scholarships set aside for some of the students in the youth polytechnics who perform well in their courses.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that all the youth polytechnics that we have put up are fully functional with enough students because we want to make them production centers bearing in mind that the world is going the technical way and that is where we also want to go,” added Kogo.
He revealed that the centers are supposed to enable the youth acquire technical skills that shall make them change the way the society does things and thinks as other countries are doing in this 21st century.
Shortage of technical artisans
At the same time it has been established that the county of Trans Nzoia and Kenya at large is facing a dire shortage of technicians in various vital courses.
The chief officer for education and ICT in Trans Nzoia John Mengwa revealed that there is high demand for artisans in various technical skills such as plumbers, electricians, masons and hairdressers.
Kiminini youth polytechnic manager Joshua Wekesa supported Mengwa’s revelation noting that the country has overproduced professionals in other commercial courses but has under-produced by up to 40,000 technicians needed in the technical area.
Wekesa further acknowledged that the youth polytechnics are now well equipped despite the fact that students are not embracing them as expected hence the number is increasing but at a low pace.
“Am calling upon youths out there who finished form four or class eight and even those who are doing other jobs to try us here in youth polytechnics not even here in Kiminini but anywhere else in the county or the country and they will see a very big difference in their lives because we are now well facilitated to train and produce technicians in different courses,” said Wekesa.
Alternative form of education
Youth polytechnics as much as they offer courses ranging from certificates and diplomas, they also are an alternative form of learning as compared to the normal form of learning whereby one can also climb the ladder and acquire the highest level of education through them.
According to Mengwa, a student can start from a certificate if he or she is a class eight drop out, then acquire a diploma through the same institution and later move to a technical training college for a degree and later to a national polytechnic or university for masters and later PHD.
He further revealed that there is a new curriculum of education that opens up the academic module with the technical skills hence such students can pursue that line of education that also equips them to be self reliant and thus can initiate self employment and also create job opportunities for others.
The chief officer further noted that there are many young men and women who drop out of the learning process during transition periods from primary to secondary or from secondary to universities and other tertiary colleges who can now utilize the new and refurbished youth polytechnics within their reach in the wards to acquire skills in courses of their choice.
He therefore urged parents and guardians to encourage their children to join the polytechnics and acquire the best skills with the modern equipment that the county and national governments have invested in.
Earlier on before the onset of devolution the national government had started equipping the existing youth polytechnics then and also introduced subsidies on school fees but the process seemed to have fizzled out as devolution took shape but the students can still benefit from the programs set by devolved governments.
Courses offered
Among the common courses offered in most of the youth polytechnics in Trans Nzoia according to Mr. Peter Ambere Barasa of Kitale Vocational Training Center are; Building, carpentry and joinery, masonry and plumbing.
On the engineering part there are courses including mechanical processing, gas welding and spray painting, motor vehicle engineering, plant mechanics and electrical engineering among others.
Others include hairdressing and beauty therapy, knitting and garment making and ICT among others.
Students in these institutions can also start earning money while still training as they get a share of money acquired from tenders given to the youth polytechnics by other institutions and contractors or even individuals to supply certain items such as doors, windows, uniforms among many other items produced in large numbers or amounts as revealed by Mr. Wekesa of Kiminini youth polytechnic.
