By Staff Reporter
The State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Sh59.75 billion budget for Non-core functions has been reduced by Sh14.93 billion as the Ministry of Education Science and Technology shifts its focus on expansion and improvement of TVET infrastructure.
It has also been established that equipping of the 60 new Technical Training Institutes (TTIs) has not been catered for in the 2018/2019 budget for the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, thus the need to establish the status of this project.
The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Research notes that a conditional grant of Sh2 billion has been allocated to support projects in Village polytechnics which is administered by the National Government under the Youth Training Programme.
The Principal Secretary for the State Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Dr. Kevit Desai submitted that his department had been allocated Sh2, 577, 094,370 for Recurrent expenditure, and Sh4,428,000,000 for development expenditure from the Exchequer.
“The donor financed projects have been allocated Sh3 billion for the Kenya/China projects, and Sh300 million for the Kenya/AfDB projects, thus bringing the total budget for the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, including donor financed components to Sh10.3 billion,” states the report seen by Education News.
The Committee further observed that the Kenya/China projects are progressing on well, and the equipment has so far been delivered to 70 institutions out of the 134 earmarked to receive the tools.
The Committee was informed that the equipment is for various disciplines such as Mechanical Technology, Electrical, Mechatronics, Automotive Technology, Welding Technology, and Agriculture value addition technology.
The Committee was further briefed that projects slated under the equalisation funding in Rabai and Msambweni have not taken off due to delay in getting funds from the Equalisation Fund.
The Rabai Technical Vocational Centre (TVC) was allocated Sh39 million and Msambweni TVC Sh50 million under the Equalisation Fund.
The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Research was informed that the State Department is in the process of initiating major reforms in the TVET sub-sector which include, transiting technical trainers or instructors from Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to TVET; seeking additional funding for capitation for students training in TVET institutions, and also seeking additional funding for construction of additional TTIs in the remaining 88 constituencies after the completion of phase II of the project.
“The Committee was informed that the State Department of Technical and Vocation Education and Training is a key enabler in the Big Four Agenda since it is required to provide skilled labour to support the Housing, Manufacturing, Health and Food Security sub-sectors of the economy,” stated the report.
The Committee, however, recommended that the Ministry of Education Science and Technology and the CDF should co-ordinate to ensure that the 60 TTI projects are fully completed and ensure this heavy Government investment is put into good use especially within the framework of the four agendas of development.
“As the number of the TTIs increase in the country, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) needs to be fully operational to ensure that the various TTIs are inspected for quality control. TVETA is the agency tasked with quality control in Technical Training Institutes.
The Committee needs to be involved in the oversight of the Shs2 billion grant allocated to the counties to support Village polytechnics through the State Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. This is the second Financial Year this grant is being allocated,” the report states.
The Principal Secretary submitted that some of the 60 TTIs are facing challenges in receiving equipment from the National Government because some County governments have not met the agreed requirements.
Support to Tvet is support to development of the country. A major step towards eliminating joblessness. It will lead to achievement of the four agendas of the government.
But it requires quality checks, monitoring n evaluation, auditing and also sensitization of the public for higher acceptance by learners, kcse graduates and also employers. The country beeds four times Technical Diploma n Certificate graduates than Degree graduates