Chuka Igambang’ombe MP Patrick Munene has rolled out a free training for youths on hairdressing and tailoring in a bid to equip them with hand on skills to help them start own businesses.
The courses (hair dressing and beauty, garment making and design and entrepreneurship) will take at least two months.
Speaking to reporters in Chuka town recently, Munene said the program is meant to equip youths with skills for self-employment and asked them to not only focus on formal jobs but also consider starting small businesses employ others.
The MP challenged them to take the courses seriously adding that it would make them competitive in the job market.
“Our economy is not stable and youths must not select jobs but take advantage of available opportunities,” Munene said calling on college students to consider furthering their studies for competitiveness.
Jobs
He told off graduates shunning jobs in fields different from those they have pursued and advised them to take them as a learning opportunity.
“Graduates should consider jobs from other fields as they offer a good learning opportunity and help in connecting them to other prospective employers,” he noted.
He said his office will next month purchase 200 tailor machines that will be used by the graduates from the training to earn a living.
An industry dubbed ‘Valisha Mwanafunzi Uniform’ meaning Dress the Pupil will before end of the year be started to make and sell uniforms for primary school kids at subsidized costs, he noted.
The MP said his office was committed to supporting students from poor families by offering of bursaries.
The MP’s office through National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) kitty is currently issuing bursaries to 1480 students in the 37 day secondary schools.
At least 10 needy students in each form totaling to 40 in each school will benefit according to the lawmaker.
The CDF office in collaboration with the school teachers have already selected the needy students whose half of second term fees will be paid.
They will receive between Sh3000 to Sh6000 depending on the school’s fees structure.
Magumoni ward MCA Justin Kithinji has however faulted the idea of involving school heads in selection of the needy students arguing that only chiefs and representatives from the respective areas would assess the need ability.
He said by so doing, students even from neighbouring county would benefit as teachers might not go a step further to find out whether the learners hail from the constituency.
The reactions were however dismissed by the MP through his aide Hamton Munene who said after the teachers list the needy cases, the names must again be checked by the chief and the CDF committee before money is issued out.
