Join Skills-Based Courses, Eldoret National Polytechnic Alumni Urges Youths

 

By Baraka Simba

Former students of Eldoret National Polytechnic are urging young Kenyans to embrace the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum as a way to combat the rising unemployment rates in the country. These alumni, who have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs, believe the society needs job creators, not just job seekers.

Cosmas Sang Kiplimo, an entrepreneur based in Eldoret City specializing in printing services, is one such success story. A former Business Management student and student leader at the polytechnic, Sang credits his career success to the TVET sector. He believes that TVET equips students with practical skills that enable them to start their own businesses after graduation, fostering independence in an era marked by job scarcity.

"I believe that TVET immensely provides skills to the learners, so that when they are out of school, they have the ability to initiate their own businesses, which helps them to be independent in this era of job scarcity," Sang explained. He has also created job opportunities for other young people in his printing business and emphasizes the importance of job creation over job seeking.

"As a beneficiary of TVET, I can say that it does wonders for this nation, as it enables students to be job creators rather than job seekers in our society," he added.

Sang's story is mirrored by that of Nicholas Kurgat, a 2016 graduate in Hospitality and Institutional Management (HIM) from Eldoret National Polytechnic. Kurgat, now a business owner and employer, also credits his success to the skills he gained through the polytechnic. With the knowledge acquired, he was able to create job opportunities for 10 young Kenyans at his restaurant.

"I decided to start this restaurant business to showcase the skills I acquired from the Polytechnic. My dream is to expand this restaurant into a 5-star hotel," Kurgat shared.

As Kenya grapples with high unemployment rates, the demand for practical skills over formal qualifications continues to grow. The TVET sector, offering hands-on training, seems to be a promising solution to the country’s youth employment challenge, providing not just academic knowledge but the practical tools needed to succeed in the real world.

In this changing era, where skills matter more than papers and grades, TVET presents an opportunity for the youth to become the job creators that the nation needs.

March 08, 2025