If the current report done by NCA is anything to go by, there is a high probability that the fundi in your construction site does not have any formal training or is not certified by NCA (National Construction Authority). Only 25% of all construction workers are skilled, 33% are semi-skilled while 42% are unskilled. These statistics demonstrate that there is a gap in upskilling of fundis in the country. As much as it is general knowledge that an unskilled labour force is risky, fundis still make up the backbone of the construction workers. Despite the imminent shortage of trained fundis, many contractors are still hell-bent on minimizing their costs, insisting on hiring quacks and non-professionals to widen their profit margins.
This trend is worrying considering that the construction industry has been growing in leaps and bounds in the past few years. As this work force is a vital part of the broader construction community, individual skills upgrading at all levels need to take place simultaneously to match the demand for this type of workers. The lack of skills among construction workers is partly to blame for the many issues arising in the building and construction industry, among them, structurally unsound buildings which end up collapsing and leading to loss of lives.
Many organisations, N.G.O.’s, institutions and private companies, have taken up the challenge of not only developing these much-needed technical skills, but also in upskilling existing fundis. We must commend the likes of KCB, Simba Corp and Safaricom. Their foundations are working tirelessly to ensure that the youth are acquiring technical skills. BuildHer is an N.G.O that is empowering women by equipping them with skills required in the construction industry. BuildHer has stepped in to provide a safe space for women to be onboarded into the male dominated construction industry. The organisation trains women on safety at a construction site, provides them competency based skills and provides linkages to the job market.
The Alibhai Shariff Centre of Excellence is committed to promoting technical skills development in the country. For close to 100 years, Alibhai Shariff has worked closely with artisans to create beautiful spaces using the quality brands that we supply. In that period, we have developed a passion for upskilling artisans so that they are able to provide the quality that we have always advocated for. With that in mind, we started the Centre of Excellence.
The Centre of Excellence has free monthly programs aimed at artisans to help them improve their craft. Through this program, we have trained painters, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. We also have a bursary program that aims to sponsor less fortunate students for 6- month technical courses. Through this program we are able to provide bursaries to less fortunate students who would like to pursue courses in arc welding and carpentry. In two years, we have been able to sponsor 40 students to pursue the two courses at St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute in Githurai. We anticipate that this number will only get bigger in future; and that excites us.