The government will employ 1300 TVET trainers to address the gap being experienced in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions as it challenges the institutions to offer demand-driven programmes to supply properly skilled human capital for the dynamic industry requirements.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu in his speech read by TVET Principal Secretary Dr. Esther Muhoria during the fourth graduation ceremony of the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic (KCNP) in Mombasa said the government has prioritized the expansion of the TVET sector through building, equipping, and staffing.
“In this regard, the National Treasury has allocated the funds in the 2023/2024 annual budget and vacancies will be advertised. Further, I am pleased to note that the Public Service Commission has promoted three thousand two hundred and sixty-nine (3269) TVET trainers,’’ revealed Machogu.
The CS also directed TVET institutions to design demand-driven programmes that shall bridge identified skill gaps in the ever-changing labor market.
To prepare TVET graduates for a globally competitive labour market TVET institutions are urged to benchmark, collaborate and partner with other top institutions in the world to result in internationally recognized programmes relevant to both local and international labour markets.
The CS said plans have been put in place to start rolling out the Competence Based Education and Training, where TVETs will train with the industry on a 50-50 basis.
The CS appealed to the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions to re-organize TVET training to Competence-Based Skilling and to identify international institutions to collaborate in offering the courses.
Through such collaborations, the CS said TVET trainees will upon graduation obtain dual certifications and will have a competitive advantage to seek employment globally.
The Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, the largest TVET institution in the entire Coastal region was extolled for showing the consistent ability to nurture a skilled labour force that matches the market requirements since inception.
The premier institution has registered an increase in the number of graduands from 1339 last year to 1811 out of whom 1033 are female. KCNP is helping grow other TVETs in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties.
The Government of Kenya in collaboration with the World Bank, Kenya Coast National Polytechnic is building a Maritime Centre in Kwale under the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project. The project is designed to address skills shortages and mismatches in East Africa.
By Sadik Hassan and Michael Maluta
