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                                            Technical Education Essay

Education plays an important role in progressing mankind and societies as a whole. General education has in the past proven to be key in promoting livelihood and increasing any nation’s labor force and productivity. However, the current need for labor has rendered general education insufficient for the labor market in the wake of fierce competition. This insufficiency is evident from a large number of unemployed who can boast of their certificates but are not considered skilled and technical enough to meet the current demand for labor. Furthermore, with the governments striving to provide basic education to all its citizens as a basic human right, its value has decreased over time. This calls for a need to focus on technical education and training in order to expand the expertise of human resources.

What is Technical Education?

Technical education is a type of education providing specialized skills and practical knowledge and is concerned with technology. Its difference from general education is that it makes learners focus on special fields and increase their expertise on the same. These special fields may include carpentry, agriculture, engineering, medicine among others. Learners who go through this education are referred to as technicians in the fields they focused on.

What is the importance of technical education in a country?

Technical education is important for the progress of any economy. People with specialized skills are needed for the construction of companies, development of real estate, to build a road that improves the infrastructure of the country. Having adequate numbers of technicians in each field increases the rate of development in a country.

This type of education solves unemployment issues that are prevalent in most countries. The skills that one acquires from technical education are mostly in high demand in the labor market. In cases where one is unable to find a job, he or she can start and run a business based on skills and practical knowledge. With this, the unemployment rate reduces.

When it comes to promoting the livelihood and the economic status of a country, technical education might just be the key. A large pool of technical labor means that a country is capable of producing more. By producing more, a country may benefit by exporting the surplus. The money realized from these arrangements increases the Gross Domestic product hence the economic status of a nation. In another perspective, a country having a large pool of technical labor may save the resources required to hire technical services from other countries.

Technical education in the Kenyan context

Kenya being a developing country, it is evident that we still don’t have the required technical labor force. The focus has always been on general education and this has resulted in the country having to hire experts from other countries to construct the road and other construction works. The unemployment rate in Kenya is high because many do not have the skills and practical knowledge in specific fields. However, the current government has come up with various programs to promote technical education. Technical and training institutions have been built. Programs such as Kazi Mitaani have promoted the youth to gain and apply their skills in specific areas. If the country continues on this trajectory, then there is hope in our economic systems.

 

                                                         Works Cited

 

Abbot. A.                    ‘Education for Industry and Commerce in England.’ OUP.  1933.

Aldcroft. D. H.            ‘Education, Training and Economic Performance.’ MUP. 1992.

Education and Training. ‘State Intervention in Technical Education in the UK.’ P. D. McBride. 

                                         Education & Training.  Vol.36. Issue 1. 1994.