Firms partner to increase the number of artisans

What you need to know:

Although the sector has wide range of opportunities – especially in assembling automotive parts, electronics, chemicals, metal and engineering – it has a shortage of skilled personnel.

VSO Jitolee, a non-profit organisation, has partnered with the Housing Finance Foundation (HFF) to ensure an increase in the number of competent artisans to complement the growth of the building and construction industry.

The two institutions will work towards building instructor and students’ skills by revising technical and vocational training curriculum to ensure competency-based and demand-driven training at the artisans academy located at the Thika Road Mall.

VSO Jitolee’s executive director Ben Ngutu said the organisation will also plot potential resource and funding partners for the project.

“VSO Jitolee will work with HFF to lobby key stakeholders as well as link technical and vocational and educational training (TVET) in Kenya to international partners and donors and develop and implement programmes that improve the quality, relevance, equity training and access to vocational training,” said Mr Ngutu.

HFF through the “Army of 1 million Artisans by 2016” Vision 2030 flagship project will focus on upgrading the skills of artisans. HFF executive director Winnie Imanyara said: “The partnership will help the foundation fulfill its mandate of upgrading the technical capability of artisans who find it difficult to adjust in a very difficult and fast changing job market.”

“We will work closely with VSO Jitolee as a partner of choice to support access to quality inclusive education and 21st Century skills for youth.”

Launched in June, the artisan academy provides free vocational training in carpentry, metal fabrication, painting and electrical works. It was founded by Alibhai Shariff and Sons (ABS), a hardware provider, Housing Finance Foundation and the Ministry of Science, Education and Technology.

It strives to refine the skills and increase the number of local artisans.

Although the sector has wide range of opportunities – especially in assembling automotive parts, electronics, chemicals, metal and engineering – it has a shortage of skilled personnel. By imparting technical skills at the tertiary level, the centre will try to address the shortage of skills slowing down Kenya’s pace towards becoming a developed nation.

For the past five years, the building and construction sector has contributed to three per cent of all informal jobs in Kenya and has proved to be key in creating employment.