NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 10 – Close to 1,000 young people are expected to benefit from a Sh130 million investment made by Safaricom Foundation towards Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
Safaricom Foundation’s Trustee Stephen Chege says the program’s focus will be on Plumbing, Welding, Food and Beverage and Electrical Engineering.
The investment will also see the Safaricom Foundation partner with Zizi Afrique Foundation and TVET institutions to set up an ICT enabled Skills Center in Nairobi.
“With this investment, we are going to ensure that we have put in place sustainable infrastructure for youth training, improve instructor training capacities, access to training opportunities in employable areas, institutional capacities and finally increase transition to employment. Our aim is to support quality participation in TVET,” said Chege.
The Foundation will also sponsor 200 students at the centre to undergo training and later place them in jobs.
11 other institutions from Nairobi, Marsabit, West Pokot, Mandera, Isiolo, Kwale, Narok, Kirinyaga, Kitui, Kisumu and Vihiga have also been identified targeting over 500 beneficiaries.
The initiative comes against an analysis by Higher Education Loans Board showing that employability is at 96 percent for people with Technical and Vocational Education and Training, compared to 40 percent among those with a university degree.
