The Kisii County Government has recruited 270 tutors to work in Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) across the County.
The tutors were selected by the County Public Service Board (CPSB) have been hired on permanent terms and deployed to the 65 VTCs in the County effective July 01st 2017.
Management Committees and National Government grant programmes that are no longer operational previously employed majority of the new recruits.
Addressing the newly recruited tutors at the Kisii Culture Centre during the start of their deployment, Governor James Ongwae said he had taken a conscious decision to absorb the tutors in order to boost vocational education.
“Vocational training is important address unemployment as graduates directly go into self employment through self reliance initiatives. We have set aside resources to avail teaching and learning materials in VTCs for effective curriculum delivery,” said Ongwae.
He noted that as chair of the Human Resources and Social Welfare Committee of the Council of Governors (CoG), he had mooted the idea of forming a national taskforce to look into the affairs of instructors of VTCs, formerly known as youth polytechnics.
Acting County Secretary Robert Ombasa and Chief Officer for Administration Patrick Lumumba flanked the Governor.
Vocational Training Director Bulemi Bukhala said the move to recruit new tutors is a significant boost to the sector adding that enrolment in VTCs will tremendously rise as a result.
“On average, we have deployed 4 tutors to each institution. They will offer training to many youth graduating from primary and secondary schools,” said Bukhala.
The tutors will offer training in hair dressing and design, carpentry and joinery, motor vehicle mechanics, electrical and electronics technology, food processing, agribusiness, metal processing technology, ICT, motor vehicle wiring and stone carving.
Through their union leader Kennedy Maera, the tutors thanked the County Government for heeding to their cries as they had waited for long.
“Instructors serving in youth polytechnics were not properly handed over to County Governments when the service was devolved in 2013. Many have been going without pay. We now ask the County Government to supplement the Youth Enterprise Fund and avail credit for business start up,” said Maera.
He also asked the County to upscale construction and equipping of workshops in the VTCs to facilitate efficient teaching and learning.
Recently, beauty product manufacturer, Style Industries, in partnership with the County, refurbished hairdressing workshops at Nyaore and Keumbu Vocational Training Centres in Kisii County.
