H.E Ali Ibrahim Roba|Governor, Mandera County
10th December 2019
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to congratulate all the students graduating today. This is a great achievement and I am extremely proud of you all.
The Mandera County Government established vocational training centers to provide courses relevant to the youth in gaining technical skills. We have come along way; Before devolution there was only the Mandera and Takaba youth polytechnic with less than 20 students, and today we have fully developed operationalized five (5) more vocational training centers with an enrolment of 915 trainees. The vocational centers have already produced 228 graduates with vocational training and have already joined the job market.
Here in Mandera East Vocational Center, we currently have 240 trainees and 9 instructors in various skill areas. We have two hundred and four (204) trainees graduating today and certified by the National Industrial Training Authority. Last year we had a total of 169 graduates. The students have specialized in different skilled areas which includes tailoring, dressmaking, hair dressing and beauty salon, masonry, wielding and fabrication, Electrical wireman, motor vehicle mechanic and ICT.
In 2014 fifty five (55) trainees graduated in various skill areas, in 2015 eighty three (83) graduated, in 2016 fifty two (52) graduated and in 2017 eighty four 84 graduated, in 2018 one hundred and sixty nine (169) graduated and today two hundred and four (204) are graduating.
The center has also been certified as an examination center for Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board. With the support of my Government and other development partners we are confident that these trainees can be self-employed in their various skill areas and even employ others instead of relying on employment. I wish to thank Islamic Relief, BORESHA and Red Cross for their continued support.
Thank you and Congratulations!