Youth in Garissa have been challenged to embrace Technical Vocational Education and Training as a viable path to getting jobs and self-reliance.
Speaking in Garissa town, County commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said there are many colleges in the county offering technical courses that can greatly change the lives of the youth.
He however regretted that many still prefer white collar jobs which he noted are fast diminishing.
Mwabuzo said there is need for attitude change, calling on parents to encourage their children to embrace skilled training.
“I must admit that we are not very well as far enrolling our youth in these technical institutions, this is despite the government investing a lot of money in equipping them as well as employing teachers,” he said.
"But it starts with attitude change, this can only be achieved if we collectively talk to them,” he said.
The county commissioner said he had received numerous requests from parents seeking job opportunities for their children, but was quick to add that majority of them only poses Form 4 certificates, something he noted worked against them.
His comments come barely a week after Garissa Governor Nathif Jama raised similar concern about the youth not embracing technical institutions.
Jama said the government has invested heavily in Tvets and it is unfortunate that the youth still shy away from them.
“It worries me that despite the huge investment in technical training institutes, our numbers remain very low. As a community, we need to change our mindset that the only gainful employment can come from white-collar jobs. The reality is that those jobs are fast diminishing,” he said.
Jama said counties cannot employ everyone hence the importance to acquire technical skills to get employment in other sectors.
Late last year, Garissa township MP Dekow Mohamed organised a leadership conference that sought to come up with solutions on the societal vices affecting the youth.
Several speakers at the forum acknowledged that many evils in the society revolve around lack of employment with the biggest challenge being youth are yet to embrace skilled training.\
At the forum, a grim picture was painted where it emerged the poverty rate stood at 64.5 per cent making it the county with the third highest poverty levels.
