Effects of Hands on Skills on Economic Empowerment, Study Case: Technical and Vocational Training in Nakuru County, Kenya.

Abstract

Economic empowerment remains a key milestone for governments globally in their effort to improve the quality of life for their citizens. Governments are determined to formulate policies, have structured transformative blueprints, skilled personnel and great leadership. Agenda four is panacea for economic empowerment to implement affordable homes, steer manufacturing, and create universal health care and a food secure nation. Kenyans and especially the youth that are economically productive, live in abject poverty as a result of lack of employability skills and initial capital for creation of self-employment. In reference to this effort, this study focused on exploring the hands on skills in TVET and their effect on economic empowerment in Nakuru County. The objectives explored the effect of hands on skills on entrepreneurship, evaluated the effect of hands on skills on the economic empowerment of manufacturing industries, assessed the effect of hands on skills on agricultural innovation and looked into effect of hands on skills on the reduction of manufactured imports in Nakuru city County, Kenya. It was carried out in Nakuru County based on 97 subjects (9 TVET heads, 25 tutors, 63 students from 9 selected TVET institutions in Nakuru County) where total response was 92 being 94.8%. Using purposive sampling technique Nakuru County was selected as the study area and employing stratified sampling technique the TVET institutions of 14% Mugenda and Mugenda, (2003) sampling technique was employed on the TVET students. Focus Group Discussion, questionnaires and in-depth interviews used for secondary and primary data, which thereafter was coded and analyzed respectively using (SPSS) version 23. The experts relied upon to test validity and content validity. Test-retest coefficient will be used to evaluate for instrument reliability and a reliability of 0.7 will be acceptable. Discoveries entailed that entrepreneurial skills affect economic empowerment in Nakuru County in ways like hands on skills have led to more job creation under entrepreneurship and promoted better SMEs policies enhancing self-reliance among entrepreneurs. Also, Industrial skills gained from TVET lead to improved production. Hands on skills have supported low cost agricultural equipment, stirred up technology investment through agricultural innovation but research and development programs are not prompted through agricultural innovation. For sure there is more local production due to hands on skills. TVET institutions should strive to inculcate more skills to the technicians rightly because such skills have been found to impact the economic absolutely. Campaigns on promoting local consumption are crucial. Ecosystem to increase demand for skilled labor export. The TVET should aid technology investment through agricultural innovation research and development programs. The government support through grants and bonuses. Other TVET researches to focus on other determinants that affect economic empowerment in other counties and countries.