Kenyan universities have been asked to design degree programmes that align with the competencies outlined in national qualifications framework.
Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Acting Director General Dr Alice Kande said this will ensure that graduates possess the skills and knowledge required by employers in their respective fields.
“There is also need to incorporate practical, hands-on learning experiences into the curricula. Universities can develop competency-based education programmes tailored to the needs of specific industries or professions. These programmes should be structured around identified competencies, ensuring that graduates are well-equipped with practical skills,” said Dr Kande.
Dr Kande made the remarks in a presentation titled ‘The Nexus between Kenya National qualifications Framework(KNQF) and Competency-Based Education in Universities’ during a Naivasha workshop to develop guidelines for review of curricula for teacher education programmes.
Kande noted that the nexus between KNQF and Compency-based training (CBT) lies in their shared goal of ensuring that individuals possess the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the workplace.
She added that the national qualifications framework provides a standardized way to understand and compare qualifications within the country.
“These competencies align with the descriptions outlined in the national qualification framework, ensuring that training programmes directly address the skills identified in the framework,” she said.
She asked universities to adapt their teaching and learning methods to the development of competencies that might involve active learning, practical application, project-based learning, and internships, providing students with hands-on experiences.
KNQA was set up to coordinate and harmonize the various levels of education and training, and to create a national database of all qualifications in the country.
It is tasked with establishing a common regulatory system for the recognition of attainment of knowledge, skills, competences, values and attitudes.
Some of the key drawbacks addressed by the framework include non-recognition of other forms of learning, skills mismatch/skill gaps/relevance, fragmented qualifications system, progression, deteriorating quality of qualifications, fraudulent qualifications, need for a transparent, equitable qualifications system, and unclear progression pathways.
Dr Kande said the Authority is determined to ensure full implementation of the national qualifications framework.
“As an Authority we have a critical role to ensure that qualifications that are awarded by various institutions in the country from basic, tertiary to university are credible, authentic and are of high quality in order to allow Kenyans to compete effectively with others in the world job market,” she said.
By our reporter
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