At least 1,160 youth from the second cohort of the International Youth Fellowship Free We Can Academy have graduated with technical skills to equip young people with hands-on expertise for self-employment and economic development.

The trainees, who completed months of intensive practical training, graduated in a ceremony held in Nandi County, marking a major milestone in youth empowerment.

The training focused on various market-driven courses including Digital Marketing, Event Planning, Welding, Hairdressing and Beauty, Masonry, Catering as well as Camera Handling.

The programme targets vulnerable youth with an aim of giving them a second chance through free technical training.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said the programme aims to equip youth with practical knowledge and skills to enable them start their own businesses, secure employment and become economically self-reliant instead of depending solely on formal employment.

He said empowering youth with market-relevant skills will not only transform their individual lives but also strengthen families and contribute to social and economic development.

Sang said technical skills are critical in the county’s development agenda, noting that majority of those going through the programme will be able to secure jobs in various national and county government infrastructure programmes.

He said the two levels of government are rolling out a number of projects including roads, dams, stadia, affordable housing, markets and hospitals which present a huge opportunity to end unemployment among the youth.

The governor, however, decried that majority of youth seeking jobs in the various projects end up being absorbed as casual labourers due to lack of technical skills, and challenged them to take advantage of TVET programmes to gain the requisite expertise.

“Most of the youths who secure jobs in the various projects are absorbed as casual labourers. We want our youths to gain the skills so that they can be engaged as skilled labour and get better pay,” he said.

He said the county government has expanded vocational training centres across the county to ensure as many youths as possible benefit.

Sang said the IYF programme has come in handy to augment government programmes and has recorded tremendous growth.

“When we first came here for the first cohort we had about 400 but now the number has doubled and today we are graduating 1,160,” he said.

“Today, we celebrate the graduation of 1,160 young people from the second cohort of the International Youth Fellowship Free We Can Academy, a significant milestone in our commitment to youth empowerment through practical skills development,” Sang added.

He urged the graduates to use the skills acquired to create employment for themselves and others, noting that technical skills remain in high demand in the job market.

The growth in enrolment from 417 in the first cohort to 1,160 in the second, he said, demonstrates the programme’s growing impact and increasing uptake among young people.

Beyond recognizing prior learning, the initiative, he added, equips graduates with hands-on skills that open doors to employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.”

He said through partnership with IYF, the County Government of Nandi continues to invest in a skilled, productive and empowered generation.

“We recognize that equipping young people with practical competencies transforms individual lives, strengthens families and contributes to the socio-economic development of our society.

We look forward to an even bigger enrolment in the next cohort to extend these opportunities to more young people,” he said.

By Kosuri Valarie