Article on youth polytechnic in kenya

The transition from technical and vocational schools to the world of work has long been considered as a critical problem area in Kenya. If we see overall structure of the country education system then place of technical and vocational education is badly lacking. Kenya needs to see its overall policy-making and planning for technical and vocational education is badly lacking. Kenya need to see its overall policy-making and planning for technical and vocational education research and curriculum development and methods for the collection and dissemination of information and co-ordination mechanism between in and out of school programmes, including linkage with manpower planning and employment in general and structure of the vocational and educational guidance program whether established within or outside the system of education.
Nature and Scope of the problem
The diversity in social and economic condition among people posses problem particularly when there is big gap between have and have not. Major chunk of population in Kenya are living with less then a dollar a day makes the situation worst.
Kenya youth need sufficient guidance and counseling services in technical and vocational education. No full time or properly trained guidance counselor who can guide the youth. Compounding factor includes, lack of training facilities for these staff, strong competition from industry for their services
Their remain negative stigma attached to vocational-technical education i.e. failure in academics joins polytechnics: academic orientation carries more prestige and status as far as students parents and other are concerned. Other problem area related with the vocational training is absence of apprenticeship programmes, development and implementation of manpower survey predicting future economic trends future job markets and skill needed for the job of tomorrow.
Job placement service is generally and uniformly lacking and their rate of successes is rarely high. Location of vocational education and training centers are uneven (not enough in urban areas or located in isolated area where there is crisis for basic facility like road, electricity and water.
There is urgent need for more effective instructor and councellor, training and retaining, especially at the industrial site.
Government Initiative to Revamp the ailing Polytechnics
With the formation of youth ministry in Kenya and creation of CDF funds govt has taken a very positive initiative. The youth affair ministry document says that it will take over the management of the youth polytechnics from communities. If it happens then the long gap of accountability and leadership will be filled by state owned youth polytechnic. As per ministry it will introduce industrial attachment develop a national policy on vocational and technical training and streamline the legal framework that will guide this sub sector.
A total of sh 185 million will go to equipping and rehabilitating the polytechnics while sh 67 million will be used to top up salaries for teachers
The document fast tracking youth policy and programme, says the newly created ministry will immediately recruit employee to run its youth training department
This will include employment of competent personal to be deployed at the district level, manager and instructors to teach at the Youth Polytechnic