By Asa Maina
The number of TVET institutions has grown from 52 in 2013 to 238 today following a total investment of Sh10.6 billion from the national government.
The PS for Vocational and Technical Training Margaret Mwakima said out of the 238 TVET institutions, 192 are fully operational while 46 are nearing completion.
The institutions she added have also been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and urged the boards and the councils of the institutions to be more innovative to be able to make them incubation and production centers.
The number of trainees has also increased from 55,945 in 2019 to over 249,000 countrywide due to the capitation.
The government has invested about Sh10.3 billion for capitation and Sh11.1 billion from HELB loans.
The government she said has been providing a conditional grant of Sh 2 billion that has been going to all the counties with each receiving Sh 10 million in each financial year.
The money is meant to improve the quality and standards for the Vocational Training Colleges.
She urged county governments to continue prioritizing the enhancement of training in the vocational colleges using this fund for the betterment of the youth.
Mwakima emphasized on the government’s commitments in carrying out reforms in the TVET sector with the view to achieve access equity and increase the occupational of TVETs so that quality and relevance in the sector can be enhanced.
“Making TVET an effective driver for socioeconomic development in Kenya needs concerted efforts and actions of all stakeholders. One of the key stakeholders is the private sector since TVETs and skill training does not create jobs for themselves but for the private sector,” she noted.
Consequently, she said, the government has engaged a robust, collaborative and consultative engagement in the industries informing the quality and relevance of training through apprenticeship and internship not only for job training but also curriculum development and assessment.
The competence based education and training concept she noted is outcome based and said TVET in the country will improve knowledge skills, values and attitudes of learners to enable them provide the needed skills for industrialization and manufacturing.
The PS said Technical and Vocational Training is a driving fire to address youth unemployment through knowledge provision, skills, research and innovation adding that the government has ensured that each county has a technical training institute and a vocational training center.
“Our ultimate goal and dream is that each constituency should at least have a Technical Training Institute. The vision is a high quality competent workforce fir sustainable socioeconomic and environmental development so that our youth can be able to provide the labour that is required,” she said.
The ministry, she said, has embarked on various reforms aimed at engaging the community, parents and stakeholders so as to change the negative perception that vocational training is second choice towards academic progression.
The ministry will establish infrastructure and upgrade the existing materials and training resources in all TVET institutions to abreast technologies and be ahead of the industry.
Mwakima spoke in Nyandarua County during the official launch of the Nyandarua National Polytechnic and the launch of the polytechnic’s Strategic plan for the period 2021 to 2026.
The institution was formerly Nyandarua Institute of Science and Technology.
