Nairobi,
Friday April 26, 2024
KNA by Philip Rutto
African countries have been urged to invest in industrial skill development through training so as to compete effectively in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In a three-day Educational conference, Partnership for Skills in Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (PASET) held in Nairobi and attended by several African Countries, it was resolved that there is need to increase fund allocations towards training and skills development in the Technical and Vocational training colleges (TVET) in order to meet the required skilled labourforce.
“African countries need to attract more resources and invest in trainings, research, and innovation,’’ said the Rwandese Minister for Education Claudette Irere.
It was noted that in the past, the organization has been targeting and supporting university students and post graduates in their scholarship, but now the attention is shifting toward Technical and Vocational training students.
Thus, this year’s theme emphasized the importance of utilizing technical and vocational training in a knowledge and skills ecosystem for Africa’s industrialization.
Irere, who is also the current PASET chair, said African countries will reap big if they invest on their youth through TVET institutions by providing them with industry- guided skills, where the training institutions are link with industries for practical learning to avoid skills mismatch.
On his part, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education Ezekiel Machogu stressed the need for Africa collaboration in all Education matters saying it is time the continent came together to address issues on industrial development.
Machogu said Africa never featured prominently in all the first phases of industrial revolutions adding, “There was the first, second and third industrial revolutions, Africa never featured, we are now in the fourth revolution and we need to be counted.”
In his final proposal to the participating Countries, while closing the Three-day conference at safari park hotel in Nairobi, the CS said there is need for resource mobilization, harmonization of TVET training across Africa, capacity build trainers and infusion of industries in Tvet training .
Courtesy; KNA
