Principal Secretary State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training, Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, has expressed confidence that the ongoing retooling of TVET trainers conducted by the Kenya School of TVET would boost the implementation of Competency Based Education Training (CBET) in TVET institutions.
Speaking during the TVET Principals, Council, and Board Chair’s consultative meeting held at the Kenya School of TVET, PS Muoria noted that 924 TVET trainers drawn from national polytechnics have already been retooled, and another batch of 580 TVET trainers are currently undergoing retooling in different regions of the country.
PS Muoria exuded confidence that the retooling of TVET trainers across the country is timely and that it will boost the implementation of CBET in Kenyan TVET institutions.
“For CBET delivery to be effective, trainers must be equipped with the right skills and competencies,” noted the PS, adding that the implementation of CBET in Kenya is a presidential directive.
Dr. Muoria called on all the TVET agencies—TVET CDACC, TVETA, KNQA, Kenya School of TVET—and all the stakeholders in the TVET sub-sector to play their facilitative role in ensuring that there is a smooth CBET curriculum in Kenya.
The PS further noted that there is a huge need to ensure that TVET trainers have the requisite practical skills, adding that this is fundamental to the implementation of CBET because trainers will have the opportunity to be retooled on the use of state-of-the-art equipment.
“The State Department for TVET will soon be rolling out a robust programme of up-skilling trainers on the use of training equipment,” noted the PS.
The upskilling of TVET trainers in the use of state-of-the-art equipment will be achieved through the partnership of SDTVET and its development partners.
PS Dr. Muoria said that SDTVET has partnered with the state departments responsible for Housing and Urban Development, Industrialization, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and County Aggregation Industrial Parks (CAIPS).
Dr. Muoria noted that this partnership would serve as training grounds for TVET trainees as well as a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment centre for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
The PS further said that industry linkages are very central to the CBET implementation in Kenya and called on TVET principals to enter into collaborations with various industries in order to enable the smooth implementation of CBET.
She further said that many government projects are going to form a huge training ground for TVET trainers.
The consultative event at the Kenya School of TVET brought together 24 principals, councillors, and board chairs drawn from the National Polytechnics.
By Justus Anzaya
