For decades, West Pokot County was better known for cattle rustling, insecurity, and harmful cultural practices than for technical education.
Many young people, particularly those from pastoral communities, had limited opportunities to pursue higher education.
At the same time, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions were widely perceived as a last resort for students who had failed academically.
As the world marks World Youth Skills Day, Kitelakapel Technical Training Institute (TTI) stands as a symbol of hope and transformation, demonstrating how skills training can change lives, restore dignity and create opportunities for vulnerable youth.
Located in Kapenguria Constituency, Kitelakapel TTI has become a refuge for young people who escaped female genital mutilation (FGM), former cattle rustlers seeking a new beginning, school dropouts, and youth from insecurity-prone areas.
Instead of being trapped in cycles of violence and poverty, they are learning practical skills that promise a better future.
The institute offers market-driven courses, including electrical installation, fashion and design, masonry, plumbing, welding and fabrication, information and communication technology, building technology, agriculture, social work and community development, library studies, and business programmes.
Principal Phidis Maasai says the institution's mission goes beyond issuing certificates.
"Every young person deserves an opportunity to succeed regardless of their background. At Kitelakapel TTI, we are giving vulnerable youth practical skills that enable them to become self-reliant, support their families and contribute to the development of West Pokot," she says.
According to Maasai, enrolment has continued to grow as more families appreciate the value of technical education.
"We are seeing a complete shift in attitude. Parents who once viewed TVET education negatively are now encouraging their children to acquire technical skills because they have realised that skills create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities."
Kitelakapel TTI Deputy Principal (Academics) Wafula Wekalamoyo says the institution has embraced competency-based training to ensure graduates leave with practical skills that respond to the demands of the modern job market.
"Our focus is to equip learners with hands-on skills that make them employable or enable them to become entrepreneurs. We are not just preparing students to look for jobs; we are preparing them to create jobs and become agents of change in their communities," he says.
Wekalamoyo notes that the institute has continued to attract learners from across West Pokot, including young women rescued from FGM, former morans who have abandoned cattle rustling and school dropouts seeking a second chance in life.
"Every student who joins this institution has a story. We are proud that many of them leave here with renewed confidence, practical skills and hope for a better future."
The transformation has been remarkable in a county where many residents previously believed technical colleges were only meant for students who had failed to qualify for university.
Government campaigns promoting TVET education, coupled with changing labour market demands, have helped dismantle these long-held misconceptions.
Increasingly, young people are choosing skills training as a pathway to employment and self-employment.
Among those whose lives have been transformed is Victoria Chesang, who fled FGM to pursue her education.
"When I escaped, I thought my education had come to an end. Joining Kitelakapel TTI restored my hope. I am now gaining skills that will help me earn a living and become independent," she says.
For Nicholas Ksang, an electrical installation trainee from an insecurity-prone area, technical education represents an alternative to the uncertainty of pastoral life.
"Many young people in our community depended entirely on livestock, yet cattle raids often left families with nothing. With this skill, I can secure employment or even start my own business. My future no longer depends on livestock alone," he says.
Another learner, Peter Kodokwang, enrolled in Building Technology after financial constraints prevented him from joining college elsewhere.
"I completed secondary school with a D+, but my family could not afford private colleges. Kitelakapel gave me a second chance. I believe the skills I am acquiring will enable me to build a successful career," he says.
The institute has also become a lifeline for women whose education was interrupted by early marriage.
Selina Chepurai, a mother of two, says she never imagined she would return to school after marrying young.
"When my children leave for school in the morning, I also attend my classes. We all return home in the evening having learnt something new. I want to achieve my dream of building a professional career and becoming financially independent."
Education stakeholders say institutions such as Kitelakapel TTI are helping tackle some of the region's long-standing social and economic challenges by equipping young people with employable skills.
West Pokot County Executive Committee Member for Education Rebecca Kide says the future job market increasingly favours technical competencies.
"The labour market is shifting from white-collar employment to practical skills. Industries require qualified artisans and technicians. Young people who acquire these competencies have a better chance of securing jobs or establishing their own enterprises."
She notes that ongoing development projects, including the Ortum Cement Factory and other infrastructure investments, require skilled labour that can only be supplied through technical training.
"Whenever major projects come to the county, our people should be the first to benefit from employment opportunities. That is only possible if they possess the required technical skills."
Kide has challenged young people across the county to enrol in nearby TVET institutions rather than wait for formal employment.
"Entrepreneurship is one of the most effective ways of addressing unemployment. Through TVET education, young people gain practical skills that allow them to create businesses and employ others."
Beyond training artisans, Kitelakapel TTI is nurturing confidence among young people who once felt excluded from education. For many learners, the classrooms represent more than places of learning, they symbolise safety, dignity and a chance to rewrite their future.
As Kenya celebrates World Youth Skills Day, Kitelakapel Technical Training Institute offers a powerful reminder that investing in technical education can transform communities long associated with conflict into centres of innovation, entrepreneurship and hope.
For hundreds of young people in West Pokot, acquiring a skill is no longer simply about earning a certificate. It is about escaping harmful practices, overcoming poverty and building a future defined not by conflict, but by opportunity.
