The Busia County Government, in partnership with Colleges and Institutes under the Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training (KBEST) Programme, has launched a fully equipped modern training kitchen at Busia Vocational Training Centre to enhance practical training in culinary arts.
The facility, fitted with equipment worth more than Sh1 million, is expected to improve technical skills among trainees and prepare them for employment and entrepreneurship.
Speaking during the launch at Busia Vocational Training Centre on Thursday, KBEST Senior Technical Advisor, Joel Oloo, said investing in quality vocational education and strong partnerships is key to equipping young people with market-driven skills.
“Equipping our youth with skills will help them meet evolving labour market demands. This will help address unemployment among young people. We are committed to supporting trainees through the implementation of food production courses,” he said.
Oloo said the programme is also supporting other training institutions in the county, including Namasali Vocational Training Centre and Bumbe National Polytechnic, through blue economy courses such as fisheries and aquaculture.
“We are working with Namasali VTC and Bumbe National Polytechnic in implementing blue economy courses, including fisheries and aquaculture. We are targeting to deliver equipment worth Sh50 million to these institutions,” he added.
County Executive Committee Member for Education and Industrial Skills Development, Beatrice Nakholi, said the modern kitchen will improve the quality of practical training while enabling trainees to earn income as they learn.
“Young people will be able to make money while still learning. As a county, we want to open this facility to the public so residents can buy meals prepared here. This will create opportunities for more young people to acquire skills and become self-employed,” she said.
Busia Deputy County Commissioner, Julius Maiyo, urged more young people to enroll in vocational training, saying technical skills are critical in tackling unemployment and improving security.
“Skills training gives young people an opportunity to create jobs and employ others. It also helps keep them engaged in productive activities. We encourage residents to support the institution by visiting and purchasing meals prepared here,” he said.
Ang’urai East MCA and Education Committee member David Parapara called for the expansion of similar projects across the county to benefit more youths.
“We need to extend such programmes to other parts of the county so that more young people can access these opportunities. The County Assembly approved Sh 5 million to establish this facility, and we have allocated additional funding this financial year to strengthen the vocational training sector,” he said.
By Alvin Ochieng and Joseph Ouma
