- PS Esther Muoria has challenged TVET colleges to ensure graduates can solve real industry problems, speaking at Gichugu TVC’s first graduation ceremony.
- Gichugu TVC has graduated 405 trainees, with 260 certified through Recognition of Prior Learning for skills acquired through work experience.
Principal Secretary for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Esther Muoria has challenged technical colleges to produce graduates capable of solving actual industry problems, saying institutions must ensure their workshops, machinery and equipment are put to productive use.
Muoria made the call while presiding over the first graduation ceremony at Gichugu Technical and Vocational College, where 405 trainees received qualifications in a milestone that highlighted the growing role of technical education in preparing Kenyans for employment and enterprise. Of the graduates, 260 had their skills certified through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), a programme that enables people who have acquired practical skills through work experience, apprenticeships or informal training to have their competencies assessed and formally recognised.
Muoria said the achievement demonstrated the potential of responsive TVET institutions to equip learners with skills that address real economic needs. “Machines and tools must support practical training and production,” she said, citing the need for trainees to engage in activities ranging from making bolts and bushes to solving actual industrial challenges. She said the success of a TVET institution should not be judged by the size of its buildings or the amount of equipment it owns, but by what students are able to make, repair, develop and produce using the available resources.
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The college is also strengthening links with industry to improve opportunities for trainees and graduates. Leah Ireri, Deputy Director of Human Resource Management at Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation, represented the corporation’s chief executive officer at the ceremony, underscoring the importance of collaboration between training institutions and employers. Such partnerships are critical in helping colleges align their courses with labour market requirements while creating opportunities for workplace exposure, employment and enterprise.
The large number of RPL graduates also demonstrates the importance of giving experienced workers a pathway to formal certification and further skills development. For many artisans and other workers, recognition of prior learning provides an opportunity to convert years of practical experience into nationally recognised qualifications.
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Muoria said every resource invested in TVET should generate value by equipping learners with competencies that can be applied in workplaces, businesses and productive ventures. She urged institutions to deepen partnerships with industry and ensure graduates leave college with skills capable of supporting employment, self-employment and economic growth.
The inaugural graduation places Gichugu TVC at the centre of efforts to expand access to practical training while strengthening the connection between education, industry and the labour market. For the graduates, the ceremony marks the beginning of the next challenge: turning acquired skills and newly earned qualifications into jobs, businesses and productive opportunities.
By Felix Wanderi
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