Kenya faces shortage of artisans, skilled labour CS Matiangi

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has said that Kenya is experiencing a shortage of artisans.

CS Matiang’i said the number of artisans currently available is not adequate for the national and international job market and has urged investment in colleges that offer skills development in plumbing, motor mechanics and engineering.

“Countries that are developed enroll about 50 per cent of their young people in technical or vocational institutions. So in Kenya we have an amazing situation where we have jobs that we could offer to people who do not exist. On the other hand a lot of people have degrees for jobs, which do not exist. We are importing welders for the standard gauge railway,” he said.

This comes as the country is experiencing an increase in the demand for infrastructure and other major capital projects.

Speaking in Nairobi during the launch of Wings to Fly scholarship program for Technical and Vocational Educational Training, Matiang’i said more skilled people are needed to roll out infrastructure development programmes where the government is spending billions.

“I have gone to graduation ceremonies. Last year I did about five. We’re graduating 9000 BAs, 15,000 BSCs and we all troop to those graduation ceremonies complete with the matatus from the villages and so on. Then what happens? Let’s be honest and advise our children the right way. Let us put our money where our mouth is,” he quipped.