By Tindi Kuchio
The Ministry of Education is developing strategies to expand the mandate of the Kenya Technical Trainers College (KTTC) to Kenya School of Technical and Vocational Education Training (KSTVET), Principal Secretary State Department for Vocational and Technical Training, Dr. Margaret Mwakima has revealed.
The PS, who was the Chief Guest during KTTC’s 42nd graduation ceremony in Gigiri recently announced that there were plans for KTTC to become an African Union centre of excellence in technical teachers and trainers.
Dr. Mwakima said KSTVET would offer short in-service courses for upgrading trainers’ knowledge and skills in order to keep abreast with the demands of the market and the needs of the society.
“KTTC should therefore re-focus on the development of short relevant custom-made courses tailored to suit the various needs of the industry,” she directed.
The PS stated that the government had instituted reforms to the curriculum from a supply-based to a demand-based Competency Based Education and Training (CBET).
She revealed that the cost of technical training had been standardized across the board at Shs 56, 420 per annum with the government providing capitation grants of Shs 30, 000 per trainee, per annum.
Dr. Mwakima added that TVET trainees could now access loans from the Higher Education Loans Board to further supplement the cost of training.
Noting that the country depends on youth innovativeness and strength, the Principal Secretary called upon graduands to seek innovative solutions to the current global challenges such as climate change by engaging in climate smart practices in their respective areas of specializations.
She thanked KTTC for taking advantage of the online learning platforms to train 4, 600 trainers during the period that government imposed by the government as one of the containment measures following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
“All national polytechnics should emulate KTTC and introduce their own diploma programmes since their legal orders allow them to do so,” Dr. Mwakima said.
She further noted that her department was committed to working with KTTC to facilitate its continued growth for the benefit of the Kenyan youth.
KTTC’s Chief Principal Edwin Tarno disclosed that KTTC would also become a centre of excellence for Continuous Professional Development of all TVET staff in the country as well as a centre for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in line with the Vision 2030 outlook on Science, Technology and Innovation.
He confirmed that the college had embarked on the training of over 3, 000 Public Service TVET Trainers who were recruited without pedagogy.
“The first cohort had already proceeded for the teaching practice beginning January this year,” he said.
Tarno revealed that the KTTC Council had approved a scholarship award for the top three KNEC Diploma and Degree graduates to pursue pedagogy at the institution with effect from this year.
He was categorical that the top three students would be awarded a sponsorship of 100% each to cover the entire tuition fees for the course. This, he noted, was intended to encourage outstanding performance in pursuit of the teaching career.
The Chief Principal thanked the government for giving KTTC Kshs. 30 million for the completion of the new Institutional Management (IM) Complex.
He also expressed gratitude for the support the institution had received in establishing the National ODeL Centre (Open, Distance and e-learning Center) at the institution, which seeks to serve all TVET institutions in the country.
‘We have already requested for additional funding from the government in order to facilitate the acquisition of equipment and furniture for the (IM) Complex,’ He noted
Since its inception in 1978, KTTC has lived to its defining mission statement of being a first- class institution in Technical Teacher Education and Technology with a focus on both pre-service and in-service teacher training.
