The Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) has announced that it will collaborate with Kisumu National Polytechnic (KNP) to push for its certification to accredit Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programmes.
Speaking at the institution, LBDA Managing Director Wycliffe Achiaga said that the institution will be of great help in identifying those who can be certified through the RPL assessment
He added that the two institutions will also collaborate in; harnessing the potential of cotton farming in the region; fingerling production; and fighting against invasive water hyacinth via the erection of a harvester.
Achiaga lauded the institution for the upcoming launch of its textile hub, which he noted, will upscale cotton farming in the region.
The polytechnic Chief Principal Catherine Kelonye said that the textile hub is 85% complete and will be commissioned this year.
She noted that the facility will have a showroom in addition to hostels for students and will be linked to other factories around.
Kelonye said that the facility, funded by the World Bank through the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), targets to develop the regional textile industry through the provision of high-quality training, problem-solving, research, innovation and technology transfer.
She said that the institution has developed a relevant curriculum, with the institution set to roll out eight textile technology programmes in May this year.
Kelonye said that the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) has already posted trainers for the programmes, which she added were set to revolutionize the textiles industry in the country.
This development, she said, makes Kisumu National Polytechnic the only institution in the country with a learning industry, adding that learners will have hands-on training to prepare them for the job market.
“We are going to have a dual model, where the training will take place in class and at the industry on a 50-50 basis. Kisumu National Polytechnic is the only institution in the country with this model. We are also the only institution that is doing the curriculum and occupational standards under textile technology,” she said.
The institution, the Chief Principal added, has also partnered with Rivatex, Spin-Knit, Thika Mills, and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to create linkages.
Kelonye urged parents to take advantage and enroll their children in the course, adding that the training programme will open a world of opportunities for them, including in China and India.
By Fredrick Odiero
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