The Government is committed to enhance Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in order to build a solid base of human resource who are equipped with skills that will help them to be engaged in gainful employment in the country.
State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training Principal Secretary Dr Esther Thaara Muoria said the Government will construct TVET institutions in the 52 constituencies in the country where no TVET institutions has been upgraded.
In this regard, the PS has appealed to the members of Parliament (MPs) for those respective areas who have already been notified to hasten the acquisition of parcels of land measuring between five and 10 acres for this purpose.
“The title-deeds for these parcels of land will be forwarded to the office of PS for TVET for safe keeping,” Dr. Muoria said.
The PS at same time observed that the Government was going to equip 72 TVET colleges in the country before July to ensure the learners acquire proper skills.
“We are also working closely with various industries in the country to know the kind of technical skills they require,” Dr. Muoria said.
She was speaking during the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works; Youth Employability Project partners` technical forum in Naivasha on Wednesday.
Muoria also noted that they were in the process of digitalizing the TVETs around the country so that young people can be able to access jobs online.
Young Africa Works is implementing a five – year programme through Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, other relevant Government of Kenya agencies, and the private sector to ensure youth around the country are equipped with technical skills necessary for the labour industry.
The programme which is funded by the Mastercard Foundation, works through a partner-driven participatory approach focusing on developing 26 Centres of Excellence (COEs) in the 11 National Polytechnics, 13 Technical and Vocational Colleges and one Vocational Training Centre in the country.
The programme also seeks to work with 75 other institutions, mainly Vocational Training Centres, through an institutional mentorship structure.
Consequently, the training programmes are ultimately expected to increase the number of youths in dignified and fulfilling work in the areas of; food security, energy, affordable housing and manufacturing and digital sectors.
The PS said they are working on implementing Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) Strategy and her department also intends to expedite implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning Policy in TVETs.
“Once this is done, we shall fully embark on the journey of curriculum reforms in TVET to ensure a 70:30 training curriculum, where students take 70 per cent training in the industry and the remaining 30 per cent in the college,” Muoria said.
She said although the TVET sector has been facing a shortage of trainers, her ministry will soon employ 1,100 trainers in the sector to help meet this shortfall but also added that the components in the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works project will also help provide CBET delivery training to TVET Trainers.
The Acting Senior Technical Advisor Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICAN) Mr. Eric Kayere said through the programme which employs CBET delivery training, Kenya has been holding exchange programs with those in the Caribbean where Kenya has been bench marking in the TVETs sector.
“We intend to get at least seven million youths into dignified employment by 2030 through skills development in TVETs and we are working with 25 institutions to equip youth with skills and at the same time encouraging girls to join the TVET sector,” Kayere said.
He noted they have also mounted training programmes in 19 institutions where enrolment is ongoing.
By Mabel Keya – Shikuku
