The Murang’a government will establish satellite campuses for local polytechnics so that more youths can access the courses, Governor Mwangi Wairia has said.
He said many youths are unable to access the 62 polytechnics in the county due to the long distances they are required to travel.
The campuses will be introduced in shopping centres, Wairia added.
“Building the campuses would take too much time and resources so the county government will make use of rental premises in shopping centres,” the governor said.
He said the programme will also ensure instructors in youth polytechnics are increased as the satellite campuses are opened in as many parts of the county as possible.
Wairia spoke to primary school head teachers at Kenol on Friday last week.
He said the county government will start short-term life equipping courses in the polytechnics to empower youths.
Courses such as beauty and hairdressing, beauty and welding, which take a few months to train, will be introduced, Wairia said.
One hundred youths per ward will be trained for free, he said.
“This programme is meant to ensure all youths who miss out on secondary school education or cannot afford tertiary education get skills that will enable them get jobs,” the governor said.
Early last year, managers and board of management chairpersons in the polytechnics said the county government has neglected the institutions.
They also complained of an acute shortage of staff.
The managers said only 28 out of 294 instructors in the county have been hired employed on permanent and pensionable terms, while the others are on contract and earn as low as Sh2,150 per month.
They said though most of the youth polytechnics are adequately equipped, their normal operations are affected as instructors keep resigning due to poor pay.
Wairia said the county government has increased the number of instructors from 30 in 2013 to 170 currently, and they are all under the county payroll.