Mt Kenya West leaders challenged over low TVET enrolment

Mt Kenya West leaders have been challenged to address low enrolment in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, with the government saying the region is not embracing skills-based education at the same pace as other parts of the country.

Speaking during the second graduation ceremony at Mukurweini Technical Training Institute (TTI) in Nyeri County, where 1,565 trainees graduated in various disciplines, TVET Secretary Joseph Kanyi said leaders from Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Murang'a, Laikipia and Nyandarua needed to mobilise parents and young people to take up technical courses, warning that the region risked failing to prepare its youth for emerging employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Kanyi said the region had not shown the same enthusiasm for TVET as other parts of the country, despite having several national-level institutions offering technical courses.

"I have gone to various parts of the country, including the Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza, and somehow Mt Kenya West has a problem. We are not embracing TVET. It is high time the leaders of this region came together and got to know what is happening to our youth and where they are going," he said.

Kanyi, who represented TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria, said the region has 32 national-level TVET institutions that could help equip young people with practical skills for the changing labour market.

"Parents and leaders of this region, let us go out there and encourage our young people to join TVET. With TVET, they will never go wrong," he said.

Kanyi urged graduates to explore employment opportunities locally and internationally, saying technical qualifications could open doors to jobs beyond Kenya.

He introduced the Kazi Majuu Job Mobility Recruitment Drive team, led by Joy Nkonge, which was at the ceremony to guide graduates on overseas employment opportunities, including in the United Kingdom and Dubai. He encouraged those interested to acquire passports and seek information on available opportunities.

In a speech delivered on behalf of Muoria, Kanyi said the government was prioritising industry-led training so that graduates acquire competencies that match employers' needs. He said TVET institutions needed to become centres of competence, innovation and productivity through modern workshops, digital learning and stronger partnerships with industry.

He said Mukurweini TTI had expanded its training programmes and adopted dual training with support from the German development agency GIZ. He also noted the African Development Bank's support in developing modern engineering workshops at the institution.

"The message to the graduands is clear: A qualification is only the beginning. True success lies in applying acquired skills to solve problems, create opportunities and contribute to national development," he said.

Mukurweini TTI Principal Samuel Mwangi said the 1,565 graduates had gone through classroom instruction, practical sessions, industrial training and assessments. He said the institution was aligning its programmes with the national transition to modularised Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), which emphasises practical skills and workplace competence, and has adopted dual training in some courses, including water engineering and electrical operations.

Board of Governors Chairperson Caroline Muturi said the institution, which started training in 2015, had 830 graduates at its inaugural graduation compared with 1,565 at the second; Muturi called for continued investment to ensure trainees have access to modern equipment and facilities.