The Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, Shadrack Mwadime, has challenged Kenyans working abroad to cultivate a saving culture and channel their earnings into meaningful investments back home.

Speaking at Dzitsoni Vocational Training College in Kilifi County during the official launch of the April 2025 National Government Trade Test Series, Mwadime revealed that Kenyans in the diaspora remitted approximately 4.95 billion US dollars (nearly Ksh 700 billion) last year. He noted that this amount accounted for only about five percent of their savings and was largely spent on school fees and other family expenses.

“If we can push this saving rate to just 10%, we would be looking at over Ksh 1.2 trillion. That’s nearly a third of our national budget, which currently stands at Ksh 4 trillion,” Mwadime said.

The PS further encouraged Kenyans working abroad to not only remit funds but also acquire new skills and technologies that can be transferred back home to support national development.

“We must ensure our brothers and sisters abroad are equipped with multiple skills and bring back the technology. That is the pathway to industrial empowerment and local innovation,” he added.

Kilifi South Member of Parliament who is also the chairman of the parliamentary committee on labour Ken Chonga urged the youths to take up courses in the various VTCs across the country.

He also challenged county governments to make sure they equip the VTCs and offer courses that appeal to the youth and respond to the various needs in the labour market.

“The world is now shifting to technical training and we can use the VTCs to equip our youths with technical training which is more practical than our university training,” he said

He said any VTCs are neglected and need a facelift.

Theresa Wasike, the Ag. Director General of NITA, emphasised the importance of the Trade Test in formally recognizing technical skills, especially for youth and informal sector workers.

“This April 2025 series involves 21,582 candidates across 453 assessment centres nationwide, supported by 1,839 trained assessors. This is a testament to the growing demand for skills validation in Kenya said Ms. Wasike.”

She reiterated NITA’s commitment to credibility and transparency, warning assessors against any form of malpractice.

“NITA has zero tolerance for corruption. We urge our assessors to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. The credibility of these certificates depends on it,” she stated.

Wasike also announced that the August 2024 Trade Test certificates are ready for collection.

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“We are also enhancing labour mobility by aligning our curricula to global standards, introducing digital certification, and engaging diaspora and labour migration stakeholders,” she added.

The Trade Test Series, managed by NITA under the Ministry of Labour and Skills Development, is vital for Kenya’s technical education landscape, offering hope, recognition, and economic empowerment to thousands of youth across the country.

Also present at the event was Hon. Aden Noor Ali, Chairman of the National Industrial Training Board (NITB).

Noor said the Authority is marking 100 years this year.

“This year marks 100 years since the establishment of industrial training in Kenya, a legacy of craftsmanship, resilience, and technical excellence. As a Board, we are committed to steering the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) towards enhanced sustainability, quality assurance, and global competitiveness,” said Noor.

He announced ongoing reforms aimed at modernizing training infrastructure, digitizing assessments, and strengthening collaboration with counties, the private sector, and international partners to reach underserved communities.

“Our industrial training system must respond to the demands of the modern labour market. We are working hard to ensure NITA remains responsive, inclusive, and innovative,” Noor emphasized.