The PS in the State Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETS) Dr. Esther Muoria has expressed the government’s commitment to bolstering TVET institutions.
In a speech read on her behalf by the Western Region Director of TVET Joseph Sunguti, Muoria said that TVETS are for innovations that will go a long way in offering solutions to the country’s many concerns like the environment, increase in food production, and creation of energy among others.
She noted that countries that embraced TVETS a long time ago have prospered to the extent that Kenya imports many items from them.
“We are not giving up and we cannot give up at this level,’ she said, adding that the TVET fair held at Busia was a testimony of forging ahead to achieve the country’s goals in creativity and innovation.
The PS further expressed the government’s commitment to supporting TVET institutions through the provision of funds for essential resources, training materials, facilities, and curriculum activities which resonates well with the sustainable goals for education.
“The government through the State Department of TVETS is enabling trainees to access higher education and realise their full potential in the spirit and policy of not leaving anyone behind,” he said urging all TVET institutions to uphold the principles of competency-based education and training to enable trainees to acquire skills that are aligned with the industries.
Muora at the same time urged the institutions to engage in research and innovation which would enhance the achievement of their programmes in case of the challenges that they have.
The Western Regional Director of TVET Joseph Sunguti said that the region leadership wants to build strong teams that could compete favourably with other regions.
“We as a Western region have been strong and those standards should not be lowered at all,” he said.
He encouraged the leadership at college levels to come up with activities that could showcase what individual colleges were doing.
“We as a Ministry and State Department for TVETS wish to state that we will continue to support all the activities when they are held at regional level or college level or national level,’ he said.
The forum organized by Bumbe Technical and Training Institution brought together 29 VTTI from the Western Region to participate in skills competitions, and robotics, showcase their exhibits, and present research papers.
The theme of the two-day event is TVET for Sustainable Development: ‘The Role of Science, technology, and Innovation for economic resilience’.
By Salome Alwanda
