• Committee chairman says the youth could be trained for six months then return for further training while working.
• MPs urge state to increase funding to the institutions to cater to trainers and requisite equipment.
There are plans to reduce the duration of training in youth polytechnics and vocational courses to six months in a bid to attract more youths.
The parliamentary committee on Labour and Social Welfare said many youths are shunning from vocational courses due to the long period they take.
Members of the committee are touring all vocational training facilities in Kenya.
Led by chairman and Bura MP Ali Wario, the committee also noted the low funding and old equipment in the vocational training centres and demanded more funds to provide modern techniques.
Speaking at Gede Youth Polytechnic, Wario said youth were very ambitious and being held for two years in the institutions makes them drop out on the way.
He said if they learn for a short time, they will be able to go work and return for further studies while already working.
Wario was accompanied by committee members Ronald Tanui (Bomet Central), James O K'Oyoo (Muhoroni) and Tom Odege (Nyatike).
Wario said they were on a sensitisation tour to check policy gaps.
He urged the government to invest in the institutions to facilitate trainers and acquisition of requisite equipment.
The Bura MP said they established there were both legal and administrative gaps.
"There are gaps in terms of manpower, facilities required to train the students and this will be made possible with proper funding."
Wario said they have also come with the idea of forming a standing committee at the county level to bring all the actors together to come up with a curriculum.
The move, he said, will enable the government to offer training in special markets even in Dubai, Qatar or other countries willing to offer jobs.
They visited the National Industrial Training Authority and centres that are tested and certified by the authority.
"Largely, our education system focusses on formal education at the expense of other training and other opportunities which are there for our youth."
A representative of NITA said there is an ongoing programme funded by the World Bank in partnership with the government.
In the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities project, he said they have brought employers on board who are recruiting youth to be trained on specific skill areas that are demanded by employers.
''It's a supposed to run up to 2021 but the government is using it as a test on whether that can be launched sustainably after that."
Edited by R.Wamochie