The government has introduced fees incentives targeting youths seeking to join technical and vocational education and training colleges (TVETS) so as to assess the low intake levels.
To address the low intake, the Ministry of Education has introduced a Sh30,000 and Sh15,000 grant for students seeking training in technical and village polytechnics respectively.
According to the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry Education Zack Kinuthia, they were targeting over 200,000 youths to join TVET
He, however, noted that there was low intake due to stigma attached to the technical colleges but was optimistic that this would change in the coming days.
“The government is committed to empowering youths through vocational colleges and we are supporting them to get skills in various fields though the intake is currently low,” he said.
Kinuthia added that the move was meant to assist the youths attain skills to assist them in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected all sectors and left thousands jobless.
Kinuthia, who was flanked by two other CASs, addressed the press in Naivasha after visiting various government projects in the constituency.
On her part, the CAS for Agriculture Ann Nyaga said that they were working with county governments on programme meant to assist farmers.
She said that already 21 counties had benefitted with funding to cushion the farmers and help in capacity building and value addition.
Nyaga singled out Nakuru as one of the counties that had benefitted immensely from the support towards farmers involved in various programmes like avocado and pyrethrum farming.
“The President is committed that we achieve food security and this can be achieved by supporting and training our farmers,” she said.
She noted that the government was keenly following the on goings in Lake Naivasha where illegal fishermen had taken over the water body.
“There is need for sustainable fishing in Lake Naivasha as failure to do this will lead to a collapse of the fisheries sector,” she said.
The CAS for Industrialization Lawrence Karanja said that the government had introduced various economic stimulus programmes to support small and medium enterprises.
He admitted that the current pandemic had adversely affected the SMEs noting that the government had already released Sh3B top cushion them.