Vocational Training and Community Empowerment in Selected Idps Camps in Hargeisa Somaliland

ABSTRACT The study sought to investigate the effect of vocational training on community empowerment among the internally displaced people in Hargeisa, Somaliland. This study was guided by three specific objectives guided and these werei) establishing the forms of vocational training projects used among the internally displaced people in Hargeisa, Somaliland, (ii) assessing the forms of community empowerment activities among the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Hargeisa Somaliland, (iii) examining the relationship between vocational training and community empowerment among the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Hargeisa Somaliland. The research employed descriptive correlational design to describe the relationship between the variables. The findings revealed the following: vocational training was rated satisfactory among the internally displaced people in Hargeisa Somaliland, community empowerment among the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Hargeisa Somalilandwas rated satisfactory, the findings indicated a significant correlation between vocational training and community empowerment in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The study revealed the following conclusions: vocational training activities such as retraining, technical training and skills improvement have tried to play a key role in promoting economic competitiveness and prosperity among the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Hargeisa, Somaliland, community empowerment is one of the most powerful instruments for enabling all members of the community to face new challenges and to find their roles as productive members of society, and finally improving vocational training it also increases community empowerment among the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The following were the recommendations: the government of Somaliland should provide financial support to partners and institutions implementing vocational training activities. This could take either or all of the following forms: cost recovery through charging user fees; government part funding to the vocational training colleges. Given the nascent/formation level of the management structures of respective vocational training centers, it is critically important to train and build the functional capacity of these institutions on the vocational skills training concept and employment promotion so that they can be stronger in their role of designing and implementation of literacy and vocational training in skills with economic and social relevance to the community. The following was the contribution to knowledge: In spite of the efforts of the Government of Somaliland and international community, weak coordination and fragmented implementation of actions has not supported the effective growth of the vocational training sector. The choice of skills training is not always guided by the needs of the market but by need to address all needs by projects whose scope is too small to warrant such undertakings. In such situations, vocational training does not receive appropriate technical direction for its success.