𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗡𝘇𝗼𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟱𝟲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗩𝗧𝗖 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Trans Nzoia administration is set to hire 56 new vocational training instructors this year to bolster skills development for its youth, Education Chief Executive Member (CEC) Capt. Stanley Kirui announced Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting with the county’s 32 VTC managers at the county social hall, Kirui emphasized the need for a multi-pronged approach to revamp the sector. He pledged to address staffing shortages, including deploying accounts clerks at the sub-county level to manage VTC finances.
“The education sector requires collective responsibility,” Kirui said. “Our predecessors did their best, and now it’s our turn to transform the county’s education landscape.”
He acknowledged concerns raised by the managers and promised swift action on issues like resource mobilization and VTC specialization.
The county plans to consolidate seven VTCs into 25 specialized centers, focusing on areas like carpentry and tailoring to generate revenue and create jobs.
“We had an idea for VTCs to make uniforms for schools,” Kirui explained. “This can create income and employment opportunities for graduates.”
The meeting also highlighted the need for a county-specific VTC policy framework. Boniface Cheloti, chair of the county assembly’s education committee, pledged to expedite its adoption.
“We’re passionate about VTCs,” Cheloti said. “As assembly members, we’ll allocate funds for them beyond the Elimu bursary and government capitation.”
He urged the county government to prioritize VTCs, suggesting a budget exceeding 40 million shillings (US$340,000) this year.
Chief Officer Ashton Mulupi challenged VTC managers to be innovative and proactive in sourcing resources. He announced plans for a digital portal to track VTC performance and a partnership with Tools to Work for equipment procurement.
Director Eliud Lusweti confirmed the arrival of over 300 pieces of equipment soon, while acknowledging staff shortages. He requested the deployment of two county security officers per VTC to ease the financial burden on managers.
Council of Managers chair Peter Baraza praised the county’s progress in expanding VTCs from 7 to 32, but highlighted challenges like inadequate funding, training needs for managers, and low instructor-to-student ratios.
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