Kenyan mall Garden City is training 150 youths in construction skills to boost the country’s construction industry, Garden City managing director Chris Coulson has said.
The youth who will be trained in areas such as masonry, carpentry, painting and plumbing will then be part of the construction team for Garden City Business Park where they will have the opportunity to get the practical, hands-on experience they need to get their qualifications.
Garden City Business Park is 23.4-acre Garden project that is under construction near Garden City Mall. It is being constructed at a cost of Ksh54 billion.
The skills development programme is being carried out under The Garden City Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme in partnership between Garden City developer, Actis and Arc Skills, an international skills development company with operations in Kenya.
Launched in 2016, the programme is designed to equip young trainees aged 18 to 35 in and around the Garden City area with quality, practical training that meets global standards, to help bridge the local construction market’s current skills gap.
More than 280 youth who were were trained in a range of building and construction trades during the first phase of the programme were later involved in the construction of Garden City residences.
According to National Construction Authority, construction skills gap has been identified as one of the causes of substandard construction, which has led to loss of lives and property.
The authority notes that rigorous training and adherence to a code of conduct would inject vitality in the construction and real estate sectors.
Kenya has one of the most vibrant construction sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa which contributes an estimated 7 percent to the country’s GDP.