Mortgage lender Housing Finance will train a million artisans for the construction industry over the next four years, as it moves to build up workmanship capacity.

The NSE-listed lender has launched a corporate social investments arm, the Housing Finance Foundation, which will carry out the project.

It will train at least 250,000 artisans countrywide each year to 2016 in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MoHEST).

The lender said the CSI programme "will focus on upgrading the skills of artisans through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions" which will be handy for Vision 2030 flagship projects such as Konza City, Tatu City and LAPSSET Corridor.

"Technical and Vocational Education and Training is the weakest link in the entire education system yet we require a skilled workforce to roll out projects identified in Vision 2030," managing director Frank Ireri said.

The programme will target artisans without formal training and create a data bank of certified artisans where firms can source for their services.

The TVET Bill 2012, which gives a framework for such a programme, seeks to create a mechanism for promoting access and equity in training to assure standards, quality and relevance. It hopes to shift TVET from time-bound, curriculum-based training to flexible, competency-focused training.