TVETs remain empty as many youth opt for boda boda business
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Motorcycles parked at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi on July 25, 2022. Police have linked motorcycle theft in teh North Rift to a crime syndicate running a booming second-hand spare parts business.
What you need to know:
- In some constituencies, this trend is fuelled by sponsorships for driving school training offered through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
- However, Kaloleni MP Paul Katana said that even with such sponsorships, the youth must be encouraged to acquire other useful skills and further their education for better chances of employment or self-employment.
Education stakeholders in Kaloleni, Kilifi County, have raised concerns over the lack of interest among many youths in joining Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, opting instead for the boda boda business.
The Kaloleni Technical and Vocational College (KTVC) has attracted little attention from the community, including locals neighbouring the college in Makululu village.
The institution began admitting students in 2019 and currently has about 400 students.
Kaloleni Sub-County Education Officer, Ms Josephine Lomata, said it was unfortunate that parents have lost control of their children, who now make independent decisions without proper parental guidance on their future endeavours.
According to Ms Lomata, many young people have declined to continue with secondary school education or pursue skills training in the various fields offered by TVETs.
“A child tells their parents they do not want to join secondary school or a vocational training institution and instead forces them to buy a boda boda,” lamented Ms Lomata.
The number of youths joining the boda boda sector has been increasing across the country in recent years.
In some constituencies, this trend is fuelled by sponsorships for driving school training offered through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
However, Kaloleni MP Paul Katana said that even with such sponsorships, the youth must be encouraged to acquire other useful skills and further their education for better chances of employment or self-employment.
“Last term, I spent about Sh1.7 million to take youths to driving schools, where some failed and others passed their tests. But having a driving licence is not a solution. A certificate in a skill like plumbing or wiring guarantees a job,” he said.
He added that a lack of education partly explains why some young people end up killing elderly relatives on allegations of witchcraft.
“I see many youths on social media from morning to evening, and then they say they are not getting employed because they are bewitched, leading them to kill people on such allegations.
“Last year, I allocated Sh500,000 to support students joining Kaloleni Technical and Vocational College, but only one person from this village filled out the admission forms,” he added.
Mr Peter Vuko from the Kaloleni Citizen Forum, however, accused leaders of failing to engage and mentor youths while they are still in school to prepare them for the transition to higher education.