Upgrade of Training and Production Centre for Shoe Industry(TPCSI)
Project Purpose
MSMEs account for over 70% of locally produced leather footwear and 100% of the leather goods. Despite this,MSMEs production has not been able to exploit their potential. They are faced by various challenges key among these being lack of appropriate skills and production technology.Under the leather segment of the manufacturing component in the ‘Big Four’ development agenda, kills development is one of the key interventions.
The project aims at upgrading TPCSI, the only institution offering industry based skills and common manufacturing facilities to the leather products manufacturers, into a Centre of Excellence so as to provide efficient services.
Brief Description of the Project
TPCSI is situated in Thika, Kiambu County, the project will upgrade and transform TPCSI into a well equipped Centre with capacity to offer continuous skills development and a Common Manufacturing Facility.The upgrade is ongoing as the required machines have been procured and await installation.The project will include upgrading of the Centre’s various infrastructure and facilities to facilitate the offering of the required services to the industry.These will be:-
- General Infrastructure
The general infrastructure will comprise of:-
- Repair of the existing buildings that include the workshops and teaching rooms that are currently dilapidated.
- Re-designing of the Centre’s sewerage lines to allow free flow and avoid blockages.
- Equipping the lecture rooms appropriately to facilitate efficient teaching.
2. Machinery and Equipment
New machines have been procured but the Centre still requires:-
- Installation and operationalization of the new machines and equipment
- Repair and servicing of the old serviceable machines and equipment
- Operationalization of the testing laboratories.This will require the training of leather laboratory technician
- Refurbishment of the workshop and training facility such as working benches and training tools to increase the training capacity
3. Training Support
The Centre is not well known across the country and will therefore require :-
- Publicity and marketing across the Counties
- Enhancing the capacity of trainers
- Support of training outreach programs in other Counties
- Creating a link with other proposed Leather Product Production Centres (LPPSCs) to ensure coordinated skills development across the Country.