• Director says county has three operational Technical and Vocational Training Institutions, two more expected to start operations by the end of the year.
• County has 23 Vocational Training Centres under the stewardship of the county government.
The number of students joining technical and vocational training institutions has increased following the sponsorship intervention by the government.
“Since the government introduced the initiative to subsidise tuition in vocational institutions, enrolment has doubled in all our institutions,” Busia TVET director Tom Olewe said on Wednesday.
He spoke during the County Development, Implementation and Coordination committee meeting.
Bunyala Technical Training Institute, which began with 30 students last year, now has 250, Olewe said.
He commended residents for their change of attitude towards TVETs and realisation that technical skills provided gainful employment.
“They have realised what they need are skills which can help them earn a living for themselves instead of going for the paper qualifications."
Busia has three TVETs with two more expected to start by the end of the year.
“The three TTIs have 600 learners pursuing different programmes from artisan to diploma level,” Olewe said.
County commissioner Jacob Narengo said technical education was the best way to achieving Agenda 4 industrialisation goal and Vision 2030.
Towards the end of last year, the national government launched Sh30,000 grants targeting students pursuing electrical and electronics, automotive, building and construction, plumbing, secretariat, ICT skills and quantity surveying within the TTIs.
TTI students have access to Higher Education Loans Board funds like their university counterparts.
Edited by R.Wamochie