The government has allocated Sh30 billion for vocational training and skills development to empower Kenyan youth with relevant entrepreneurial, President Uhuru Kenyatta said yesterday.
The President said for the country to realise the Big 4 Agenda - health, housing, manufacturing and food security - there is need to provide the market with graduates with appropriate technical skills.
“It is in this context that my government is laying heavy emphasis on vocational training, “said the president.
He said the amount allocated will cater for training in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions, National Youth Service and polytechnics.
The President was speaking yesterday when he commissioned the 10,000 Kenya Commercial Bank 2jiajiri programme class of 2018 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
He said the government is committed to create a business environment where all Kenyans have equal opportunity to participate in nation building without any hindrance.
He said the training programmes are fashioned to empower the youth, women and persons with disabilities to enable them engage in business and other gainful employment.
This, he said, includes reservation of thirty per cent of all government procurement opportunities for women, youth and persons with disabilities, devolution of some services and functions to counties, and increased resource allocation to the devolved units.
The President said through these initiatives, the number of persons engaged in productive economic activities rose by 5.6 per cent from 16 million in 2016 to 16.9 million in 2017.
“I note with satisfaction that since 2016 when this 2jiajiri Programme started over 23,000 youth have been trained and over 2,000 youth-led business enterprises have been created,” said the President.
Kenya Commercial Bank CEO Joshua Oigara said the bank would advance Sh 10 billion each year for the next five years at a low interest of nine per cent to support youth enterprises in the country.
