Male students who have sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) have been encouraged to consider enrolling in beauty courses in technical and vocational institutes.
The Chief Principal to Meru Teachers College Dr Faith Gichovu while attending the Glamourland Technical and Vocational Institute’s 3rd graduation in Embu County, said that many young men are still jobless after failing to secure admission to university simply because they have opted to ignore such prestigious courses.
She called on parents not to choose stereotyped ‘masculine’ courses for their male candidates saying that beauty courses are not meant for only girls.
“This is not the time to stick to stereotypes and traditional careers, we need to diversify and know that beauty is paying now, let us encourage our boys to take up these courses,” said Dr Gichovu.
Gichovu added that the boy child’s creativity can be an advantage by luring many customers to their beauty establishments.
On his part, the college’s Board Chairperson Manasa Nguu said that the stigma accorded to the few male students who take up beauty courses was dissipating as many others had shown interest in taking the courses.
Professor Kabiru Gatumo said that as parents assist their boys to select courses to pursue, they should also be guided through observation of their interests and capabilities as they grow up.
Besides, he implored the government to pump more resources into technical and vocational institutes describing them as game-changers to the communities across the country.
According to the ACK Church Embu Diocese Education Committee Chairperson Dr Jackson Ngari, 26 vocational institutions had closed in the area due to problems with funding. He urged the government to intervene to save the future of the youth in the area.
He also urged parents to embrace Technical and Vocational Training Centres as they held the future of the youth adding that it would end unemployment in the country.