(MENAFN- The Conversation) Kenya's extractives sector – covering oil, gas and mining – is booming. There have been recent of commercially viable resources, like oil and gold. The sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product currently stands 1%. But the government expects this to reach 10% by 2030. there's still a great deal to be exploited.
To support the sector's growth, the government recently approved a geophysical survey that will map the country's minerals and natural resources. It also enacted a new and put forward a new to provide new sector regulation.
But to realise the potential of these resources, more people with the right skills are needed. The number of skilled workers in Kenya's labour market the extractives sector's current needs. Although the size of the skills gap in Kenya is unknown because detailed research hasn't been done, industry sources have made it clear that they are . According to a on Kenya's petroleum sector, the extractives sector is still dominated by foreign expertise in technical, exploration and production skills.
In Turkana County for example, where most upstream petroleum operations are taking place, the to the mismatch between workforce skills and new employment opportunities. This challenge is most severe for vocational skills like pipe fitting, welding, drilling and operation and repair of heavy equipment – in high demand in the energy and natural resource sectors.
If not addressed urgently, the skills gap could inflate the cost of labour over-reliance on foreign experts and compromise energy and mining projects. Industry players need to collaborate and support on-the-job and need-based training.
Vocational skills
One major challenge to addressing the skills gap is the lack of quality vocational training. The skills needed in energy and mining sectors in Kenya are usually acquired informal technical and vocational education and training institutions.
For example Kenya skilled welders who can work on a live oil pipeline. polytechnics (higher education institutions with courses mostly in vocational or technical subjects) only offer artisan welding courses. The welding that is done in the petroleum sector is much more complex. This is a huge setback as Kenya to begin crude oil exportation in 2019.
Kenya has 845 accredited technical and vocational education and training institutions, but the courses offered aligned with global standards.
There is also demand for workers with business skills, including information technology, accounting and project management, as well as geology and engineering skills.
Most universities in Kenya focus enough on practical skills, and there's a bias towards social sciences.
Because of this mismatch, skilled labour, the skills aren't the right ones, or are inadequate. Employers can't rely on certificates from formal technical and vocational institutions as a guide to an individual's actual competencies. Instead they have to verify new recruits' competencies to determine how much additional on-the-job training is required.
include outdated training curricula, inadequate facilities to cater for the large number of students who wish to undertake the vocational programmes and a of teaching staff. This all has a negative impact on the quality of individuals being channelled into the labour market.
Way forward
Kenya's situation isn't unique on the continent. Other resource-rich countries like Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria are also grappling with a skills gap in the extractives sector. In the mismatch is primarily caused by training curricula that are developed with no input from key industry players. , meanwhile, faces a number of challenges including inadequate funding, teaching and learning facilities and poor governance.
In Kenya there is a way forward. It lies with developing more, specialised training centres. The Kenyan government has been with some private sector players to implement capacity building initiatives to support the oil and gas industry.
And some private companies like and , considered leaders in Kenya's mining and oil sectors, are taking the lead in professional skills development. This will ensure that curricula, training and standards match the sectors' market and skills demand. And it will ease the transition from training to employment.
Some higher education institutions are also trying to plug the gap. Strathmore University's , for example, has with specialist centres to short courses like energy auditing and technical solar skills. Their approach rests on three pillars: enterprise development, skills development and matching graduates with potential employers. Similarly, in Nairobi offers renewable energy training like solar installation.
But for these programmes to be successful, curricula must be modelled on global standards. The quality of teachers must also be improved and technical and vocational training institutions need to be equipped with modern tools and materials to ensure a shift from theoretical to practical teaching.
Author's note: My colleague James Kirwa contributed to this article.
MENAFN2202201801990000ID1096500533
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.