Trade, Gender, and Youth affairs executive Elizabeth Loote has called for support to the department from the International Labour Organization (ILO) to help the County deliver its mandate to the youth of Turkana.

Speaking yesterday at Lodwar Vocational Training Centre (LVTC) during a meeting with ILO representatives, CEC Loote lauded the partner for initiating vocational skills training for the Youth across the county and said that more could be done in helping the graduates enter the labour and the trade market.

The executive said that her department had already rolled out an empowerment program for the targeting groups led by Youth, Women and persons with disabilities for start up and business expansion loans of up to ksh 250,000.

She explained that a formal partnership between ILO and her department would immensely contribute to better linkages of the graduates to the empowerment program and facilitate their eventual entry into the commercial sector.

On their part, the ILO team lead promised to pursue the partnership request as it was in line with their objectives of cultivating a critical labour force for serving the market needs.

Ms. Lilian Ndinda of ILO explained that the current program was a joint venture by the Organization and the Directorate of Education to equip youth with skills in Masonry and construction in readiness for the upcoming opportunities in the public and private sectors.

“To this extend, we may require to formally engage the Department in charge of youth affairs to achieve our goal,” Ms. Lilian said.