By Education News Reporter
The government is planning to construct fully equipped Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the remaining 52 constituencies as part of its major priority areas in 2023/2024 Financial Year (FY).
According to the Draft 2023 Budget Policy Statement released by the National Treasury and Economic Planning ministry on January 18, 2023, the government has allocated a total of Ksh23.8 billion under the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training – where Ksh19.8 billion will be for current expenditure while Ksh3.9 billion will go to capital expenditure.
Youth Training and Development has been allocated a total of Ksh40 million in form of current expenditure, while Ksh187 million will be used on general administration, planning and support services as current expenses.
Recently, Vocational Training Centre (VTCs) managers appealed to the government to address the huge pay disparities of VTC’s trainers and other civil servants in the same Job Group (JG) and fully implement the scheme of service for Youth Training and Development personnel of 2012.
Post-training and skills department on the other hand has been allocated a total of Ksh541 million, where Ksh177 million will be used on general administration, planning and support services as current expenditures.
Workplace readiness services has been allocated a total of Ksh334 million of the total post-training budget, with Ksh70 million being for current while Ksh 264 million going to capital expenditures.
Post-training information management was allocated a total of Ksh30 million, which will be in form of current expenditure.
While releasing the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) on January 20, 2023 at Mitihani House, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu stated that the government was going to give special attention to the TVET sub-sector.
“I urge all stakeholders in this sector to rise up and be counted as we institute far-reaching reforms as would be recommended by the presidential working party,” said Machogu.
In 2022 KCSE, the number of candidates with a mean grade of D+ and above was 522,588 (59.14 per cent) compared to 442,251 (53.29 per cent) in 2021. Those who got an average of E declined significantly from 46,151 (5.56 per cent) in 2021 to 30,822 (3.49 per cent) despite the increase in candidature.
Machogu noted that most of the 2022 KCSE candidates scored grades of higher quality, adding that all the remaining candidates are eligible to join TVET institutions, teacher and medical training colleges, and other tertiary learning institutions for various courses.
The CS further directed the Principal Secretary (PS) for TVET Dr. Esther Muoria and the semi-autonomous agencies in the Ministry of Education (MoE), including the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), to work to ensure that the agenda of TVET remains robust and able to spur the economy of the country through the production of well-trained youth.
“I therefore direct the KUCCPS to move with speed and establish the number of places available in our universities, colleges and TVET institutions to enable the immediate commencement of the placement exercise,” he added.
Machogu also said that the government is determined to ensure that the credibility and authenticity of qualifications and certificates by all institutions remain of high quality, adding that the government has developed a system for articulation, classification, registration, accreditation and quality assurance of national qualifications.
He therefore directed KNQA to ensure that the National Qualifications Framework is fully implemented as it will enhance the quality, relevance and authenticity of qualifications, not just locally but globally; and further promote portability of qualifications and mobility of labour.
