Publication: Assessment of youth polytechnics vocational education and training for youth economic empowerment; a case of Kakamega county
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2015-09
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Mount Kenya University
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Abstract
There has been a disturbing trend of unemployment among the youth and general repulsion
towards enrolment in youth polytechnics. The graduates of this institution have not acquired
the economic independence or made meaningful economic self-development strides. The
study sought to assess the youth polytechnics in empowering the youth for economic
development in Kakamega county. The specific objectives of the study were; To find out how
stakeholders attitude about youth polytechnics vocational education training affect economic
empowerment of youth in Kakamega County. To determine how the instructional resources
for training in youth polytechnics contribute to economic empowerment of youth in
Kakamega County. Assess the how vocational education planning and management of youth
polytechnics affect youth empowerment in Kakamega County. And lastly determine how
youth polytechnic training in technological change influences youth economic empowerment
in Kakamega County. The study was anchored on the human capital theory by Adam Smith
(1776) as expanded by Becker (1962). The study employed a descriptive research design and
was carried out in Kakamega County. Then target population of the study was 2215
individuals from 41 youth polytechnics in Kakamega County. The sample size for the study
composed of 272 respondents being 12 managers, 58 instructors, 190 students and 12 key
informants. The respondents were selected through simple random and purposive sampling
techniques for Key informants. The research instruments used in the study were a standard
questionnaire and an interview schedule. On validity of the instruments, the research used
content validity where experts were used to ascertain the validity of the data collection
instruments. Test retest method was used to ascertain the reliability of data collection
instrument. The researcher analysed the study data using both descriptive and inferential
statistics (hypothesis testing) with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 20.0 and present findings in form of frequency tables, percentages and other
measures of dispersion and variability. Study findings established a significant negative
relationship between stakeholders’ attitude on vocational education training and economic
empowerment of youth in Kakamega County. It was also established based on the study
findings that instructional resources for training in youth polytechnics have a significant
negative effect on economic empowerment of youth in Kakamega County and that vocational
education planning and management significantly negatively influence youth empowerment
in Kakamega County. Further still, the study revealed that polytechnic training in
technological changes do negatively affect youth economic empowerment in Kakamega
county Findings of this study have stretched the frontiers of knowledge to the stakeholders in
the tertiary education sector to craft strategies that would enable polytechnics to lend a more
relevant contribution towards youth empowerment and economic development in Kenya.
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Education, Planning, Management