By Our Reporter
The Principal Secretary (PS) in the State Department of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Dr. Margaret Mwakima has revealed that the government has trained 598 TVET trainers on Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) and 33 trainers of Special Needs Institutions on the use of systems for special needs students.
She also said the government had increased the number of TVETs from 52 in 2013 to 238 in 2022 at a cost of Sh.10.6 billion.
The PS said that out of the 238 TVET institutions, 192 are operational and 46 are nearing completion.
Speaking during the 6th graduation ceremony at PC Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute in Dagoretti South, Dr. Mwakima said the expansion of the institutions in the country and availability of government grants and loans has led to increased enrolment of trainees who are gaining technical skills that are key in the realization of the country’s Vision 2030.
“The government’s support that includes Ksh10.3 billion capitation grants and Ksh11.1 billion Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans to TVET trainees since 2019 has seen an increase in trainee enrolment from 55,945 in 2013 to 249,316 in 2022,” said Mwakima, adding that another conditional grant of Ksh2 billion is also given to VTCs every financial year.
She further said that the Ministry was in talks with a number of partners with a view to financing graduands’ ideas from technical institutions.
“We have faced challenges of getting graduands access to start-up kits including finances that allow them to start their own income ventures. We are at advanced stages of discussions with development partners on how to provide the start-up packages,” she said.
The PS further challenged trainees to consider teaming up and forming formidable consortiums to bid for government tenders.
