Employment opportunities for 500 youth in Kilifi

For many years, youth in Kilifi County have had limited  access to decent jobs due to lack of  technical skills. This narative has been changing thanks to the  training opportunities at the Mabati Technical Training Institute that has opened up doors  to youth  from vulnerable households. The number of young people with relevant  technical vocational and social  skills has been on the rise, opening doors job opportunities in the informal and formal sectors  and decent incomes for youth  in Kilifi County.

With a student population of 1,061, MTTI continues to provide premier technical training for the youth of Mariakani and beyond. Thanks to our partners and your donations through GlobalGiving, 1,061 trainees from vulnerable households have been given a stepping stone into gainful employment.

Through the introduction of new courses at the beginning of the year, we have seen a surge in admission numbers at the institution. These new courses have proven to be more inclusive, and have helped us cast a wider net in the community to bring in more youth with a need to gain financial independence and passion to learn. Courses such as Information Computer Technology (ICT) have proven popular among recent high school graduates, with 140 students since January, indicating the importance of digital literacy and a ready potential workforce for the gig economy and the more technical computer technology roles.

This half of the year we celebrate the re-launch of the Office of Career Services at MTTI. The office was re-structured to provide career guidance and counselling for the trainees during their learning, and additionally seek out industry linkages with organizations. The institution establishes these linkages by signing MOUs with selected organizations to commit to a continuous partnership in ensuring our trainees have opportunities to train and eventually work in a decent and safe environment.

We are also delighted to announce that MTTI joined the Mombasa Multi-stakeholder Public - Private Youth Partnership on Youth skilling and Employment (MMPPYP) Human Resource Network. The network is tasked with linking vulnerable youth with employment opportunities through a collaborative effort between the private and public sector. With a keen focus on the blue collar work sector, the network aims to seek out opportunities for youth with technical training in the building and construction sector. This initiative, with the help of fellow taskforce members, projects the placement of 10,000 youth in employment with decent and livable wages.

As we celebrate our wins for the first half of the year, we also celebrate you for your generous donations toward our missions and initiatives to make a difference in the lives and families in Kilifi County. With the acquired skills, these youth have been empowered to access limitless chances and opportunities to work and make changes in their families and communities.

In line with our long-standing pillar of providing accessible and affordable education, Mabati Technical Training Institute (MTTI) continues to provide training and harbors hope for a bright future among the youth in Mariakani, Kilifi County. The institute recorded a total of 685 enrolled students at the close of December 2022 with 168 new admissions since September 2022, marking a 23% growth in student population. There was also a notable interest in the Computer packages course with 40% of student population enrolling for this option.

We have additionally noted increased gender-balanced course admissions in traditionally male/female programs and are determined to continue breaking barriers and encouraging all our trainees to aim for the programs that pique their interests. With your help, ceaseless support and generous donations, we have initiated, progressed and completed several phase of the MTTI Upgrade Plan 2022.

Our lunch program continues to be fully operational serving the whole trainee population five days a week, giving reprieve to students who come from vulnerable situations and cannot afford three basic meals on a daily basis. The school surveillance (CCTV) and biometric systems have also been fully installed and are fully functional. These systems ensure security for our students, instructors and the institution’s property. The school management system has enabled MTTI to migrate from the traditional paper trail into a more economical and environmental conscious process of quick, efficient and accountable services. We are happy to share about more of the works underway that, once completed, will improve the services and courses offered at MTTI.

We are committed to our trainees’ academic and professional excellence and we have taken steps to cement these commitments. The dressmaking course had been facing challenges due to lack of adequate equipment but, through your contributions, we have restored and repaired up to 90% of the machines and anticipate full restoration in the next few months. Other projects such as the white board installation are also complete and allow for our instructors to facilitate training with ease.

Your generous donations and support has made all the above progress possible and we thank you for giving us the power to change lives and communities around us. With your help, we look forward to expanding our reach and our mission to empower, enable and support the youth of Kilifi County to be economically independent and a beacon to the generation to come. Asanteni Sana