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{
    "id": 343738,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/343738/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 822,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "December, 20, 2012 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 72 Mr. Mbau",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to add my voice to support this Bill on account of its necessity at this particular time of our economic growth and development. You will note that at some point in time, the Government and everybody else have tended to focus a lot more on ensuring achievement of higher education in the form of diplomas, degrees and masters to those who make it to public universities and also those who attain grades to join private universities. In one of the research reports today, we are told that over 800,000 young people are joining the labour force. Many of these young people have degree certificates, but have nothing to do because the curriculum, for a long time, has tended to be in favour of non-technical knowledge. Therefore, this Bill is coming at a time when we are talking about moving this country to a newly industrialized country by 2020 or 2030. It cannot be gainsaid that we now need to develop and nurture a cadre full of skilled labour that will provide the technical back up for knowledge that will be moving the economy. I want to commend the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology for her often stated desire to ensure there is a technical training college or institute in each of the 47 counties in our Republic. This will achieve a capacity of each county to admit, train and empower with skills that can be used where the students are within that county. In the spirit of our new Constitution, we are told that specific respective counties should rise up and exploit the potential and resources found therein. That is why we are also saying that resources are being devolved towards the counties, so that leaders of that county can take advantage of their skills and their potential to move their counties forward. I wish to support this particular Bill entirely with a view to ensuring that counties begin to own these training institutions. I also hasten to urge the Minister to facilitate each county to start technical colleges. This will go a long way in ensuring that we tap the potential of the students who finish Forth Form, but do not make it to public or private universities. They still have potential with their C’s and D-plus. They should have a place to go, so that they do not get wasted. These are the majority. This is also what has led to the proliferation of very many private colleges that take a lot of money from our citizens. Students do certificates, diplomas and they transit to universities, but at a very high expense. At our economic status, our people may not have all the students who have the potential to join these private colleges, so that they can then transit. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}