Education Cabinet Secretary has lauded the Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) sector saying that it’s on the right trajectory to achieving a robust and strong industrial linkage.
Speaking during the opening of a three days national TVET conference 2023 at KICC Nairobi, the education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu who was accompanied by TVET Principal Secretary Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, said that the implementation of a robust and strong industrial linkages in the TVET sector is in line with the recommendations made by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER)
The CS said that dual training and robust industrial linkages are initiatives aimed at ensuring that learners are equipped with hands-on skills that will enable them to fit in the modern job market.
The CS underscored the need to ensure that there is an elaborate and frequent communication between industries and TVET institutions on matters of curriculum development.
“Industries and TVET institutions ought to establish an elaborate communication and robust linkage so that they can be able to scan and discern future market needs and develop curriculum together,” said CS Machogu.
Dual TVET initiative is being implemented by the Government through the partnership of the private sector, German and Finland Governments.
The CS at the same time noted that the Government is banking on the TVET sub-sector in order to spur industrialization in Kenya adding that the Government is ready to give full support to this sector so that its agenda is achieved.
“Government is banking on TVET to spur industrialization in Kenya,” noted the CS.
He called on the TVET principals and TVET institutions industry liaison officers to be proactive and ensure that they identify industries within their areas of existence and come up with strong collaborations.
He further noted that the most important resource at the moment that Kenya has are the youth and implored the TVET principals to make it upon themselves and ensure that Kenyan youth are fully skilled.
“Let’s ensure that we have skilled labor in Kenya that we can be able to export,” said the CS.
The State Department for TVET Principal Secretary Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, echoed the CS’ sentiment by urging TVET principals to establish formidable and robust industrial linkages with industries.
“Industry and TVET institutions should be one to a point that no one can tell or notice any difference between the two,” said Dr. Muoria.
The PS pointed out that TVET institutions across the country have embraced and implemented the Competency Based Education and Training (CBET), a curriculum that focuses on 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent industrial practice.
Dr. Muoria noted that for effective delivery of the CBET curriculum, the Kenya School of TVET has successful retooled trainers from the old 11 national polytechnics and that recently on November 13, Kenya School of TVET and the State Department for TVET rolled out the retooling of trainers drawn from the 13 newly elevated national polytechnics.
By Justus Anzaya
