Kirimari Youth Urged to Embrace Skills Training as Path to Self-Employment

By BRIAN MUSYOKA 

Kirimari Ward MCA and Embu County Assembly Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh said practical skills were increasingly becoming important in helping young people become financially independent, start businesses and access opportunities in the digital economy.

Swaleh was speaking during a graduation ceremony for beneficiaries who completed training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), online business and nail technology through an initiative established by his office.

The programme currently produces about 114 graduates every month, equipping young people with skills they can use to secure employment, establish businesses or offer services within their communities.

Swaleh said the initiative was born out of the need to address unemployment among young people who complete colleges and universities but struggle to find formal jobs. He said the focus was to equip the youth with practical skills that can allow them to become job creators rather than relying entirely on the limited formal employment opportunities available.

Swaleh noted that ICT and online business training had opened a new avenue for young people to work with clients from different parts of the world without having to leave Kirimari or Embu. He said the growing global digital economy provides an opportunity for Kenyan youth to earn an income from home if they are equipped with the right skills.

However, Swaleh said inadequate training space remains a major challenge facing the programme, limiting the number of young people who can be trained at a time.

He appealed to well-wishers, businesses and development partners to support the establishment of a larger ICT and Nail Technology Training Centre where more young people can be accommodated.

The MCA also announced plans to establish a business hub where graduates will have an opportunity to put their skills into practice, develop enterprises and generate income.

He further called on local business owners to offer opportunities to the graduates to gain experience while earning a livelihood. Swaleh said empowering young people with practical skills would not only improve their economic wellbeing but also help address social challenges such as drug abuse and crime.

He said the next cohort will have 126 young people undergoing training in ICT and nail technology.

A notable guest at the ceremony, Susan Wangari, described the programme as a transformative initiative, urging well-wishers and other stakeholders to support it so that more young people can benefit. Beneficiaries also shared how the training had changed their lives.

Nail technology graduate Joy Robin said the skills had enabled her to start earning an income after previously depending on farming, while ICT graduate Ian Mutugi said he can now pursue online jobs from international clients while working from home.

Training at the Kirimari Ward ICT Centre is offered free of charge, giving young people an opportunity to acquire practical skills that can help them build sustainable livelihoods.