The government of Kenya has announced a collaboration between the United Nations and itself in making sure that skills borrowed by graduates from Technical and Vocational Education and Training are relevant and dynamic to change in response to both the local and international job markets and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
According to Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Higher Education and Research, the government commitment to equipping the youth with relevant competencies and efficient workplace skills. Speaking at the celebrations for UN World Youth Skills Day, she noted that the youth must not only be prepared for employment but to build peace and foster development.
According to Dr. Inyangala, “The UN requires that competency in the market should also be accompanied by a determination to promote peace and development by technically skilled young people.” The approach is meant to ensure the world reaps fully the economic and social benefits tablespread from these skills.
According to Dr. Inyangala, acquiring skills from the University and vocational trainings can work in enlightening the choices young people make in making informed employment choices. She emphasized the need for preparedness to tackle elements that may complicate the stability of societies such as violence, youth employment crises, and other economic inequalities.
“It would be very important to be able to endow young people with the basic competencies in nurturing, maturing responsible global citizens, and promoting sustainable development for building up a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future,” she said.
Dr. Inyangala called on all education and industry players to support skilled young people to ensure peaceful co-existence around educational and workplaces, the two forming very important pillars for the realization of holistic development.
“Let us join forces to see the potential of youth as peace builders and commit ourselves to giving them the tools and opportunities that they need in order to find solutions to pressing challenges on their way in the pursuit of a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all of us,” she urged.
According to Kipkurui Langat, the Director General of the TVET Authority, UNESCO has recognized the requirement and aspirations of and for inclusive and equitable quality education. He brought out that good quality apprenticeships, internships, and volunteering initiatives could make entry points in the labor market for young job seekers and graduates.
“The government is aware of the support from the UN, noting that such projects have a potential to offer first-time job entrants and young graduates entry points into the job market,” said Langat.
The deal involves the collaboration between the Government of Kenya and the UN in the development of a workforce characterized by competence, efficiency, and tranquility, thereby generating development and economic growth in countries.