One hundred and twenty young dependents of Kenya Defence Forces personnel have begun a 12-week construction skills development programme aimed at equipping them with technical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
The beneficiaries, aged between 18 and 30, drawn from families of Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force, and Kenya Navy personnel, will undergo training at the Defence Technical College under a partnership between the Family Bank Group Foundation and the Military Wives Association of Kenya (MWAK), with support from the Nairobi Institute of Technology.
The trainees will be trained in plumbing, electrical installation, and Information and Communication Technology, including foundational and intermediate ICT skills. They will also receive financial literacy training, with certification provided under the TVET Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council.
Speaking during the commissioning of the fifth cohort, Family Bank Chief Retail Officer Phyllis Kimani said vocational training remains critical in preparing young people for the job market.
“This program is designed to equip you as beneficiaries with skills that can fly beyond the classroom, whether by seeking employment, establishing your own enterprises, or continuing to build the technical capabilities,” she said.
Kimani said the initiative forms part of the Family Bank Group Foundation’s wider investment in community development, with more than one billion shillings invested in education, healthcare, agriculture, youth economic empowerment, entrepreneurship development and environmental conservation.
“We believe that when people have relevant skills, they are better positioned to pursue employment, to start or to strengthen enterprises, and create sustainable sources of income.”
The programme has already trained and graduated more than 300 dependents of KDF personnel through its previous cohorts. Moi Air Base Commander Brigadier Herbert Wafula said the training goes beyond academic qualifications, describing it as the beginning of a career for the beneficiaries.
“The program is more than technical education; this is the start of a career; it is not just education,” he said.
He challenged the trainees to embrace discipline and practical learning, saying the skills should enable them to become job creators rather than remain dependent on employment opportunities.
“We are equipping our youth and dependents with the practical competence that translates into great opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance. This is precisely the spirit of competence-based education.”Wafula said.
MWAK Head of Housing Pillar, Naomi Mwinyikai, said the programme is intended to bridge the gap between technical knowledge and the financial capacity required to turn skills into sustainable businesses.
Mwinyikai said the partnership would continue beyond the classroom, with Family Bank expected to support the trainees as they seek to establish enterprises after completing their training.
The programme is expected to give the young beneficiaries practical technical skills while opening pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and financial independence.
