Over 190, 000 students have enrolled at Vocational and Technical Education (TIVET) institutions across the country after the government introduced capitation for learners.
The growth signifies a 130 percent increase as more students seek admission to the institutions in thegovernment’s well calculated move to revamp vocational and technical education in the country.
The State department for Vocational and Technical Education Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Kevit Desai said the enrolment was expected to hit 300, 000 by the end of this year.
He said the government had put in place various interventions to steadily grow the enrolment to 1 million to enable the institutions play a vital role in development.
“A middle income country like Kenya requires having at least 10 percent of the student population enrolled in TIVET institutions to produce a competent workforce for national development,”he said.
To deal with the increase in enrolment, the PS disclosed that the government was set to establish 15 new institutions in the next financial year.
The existing institutions, Dr. Desai added, shall be expanded and equipped to meet the renewed demand for vocational and technical education.
The State department for Vocational and Technical Education, he said, had secured an additional Sh.2.2 billion from the National Treasury for capitation.
“We have already disbursed to the institutions the first tranche after the launch of the programme. These additional funds shall cater of capitation for new students and other bursary needs,” he said.
Dr. Desai made the remarks in Kisumu on Wednesday during an induction training for Boards of Governors drawn from 18 Technical Training Institutions (TTIs) in Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Nyamira, Kakamega,Vihiga and Kisumu counties.
He disclosed that the government had embarked on the recruitment of 2, 000 trainers to be deployed at the institutions.
The trainers shall be equipped with skills on competence based education to ensure that they churn out grandaunds set to play an active role in development, added.
Dr. Desai challenged the Boards to come up with innovative ways and programmes to help the government realise its Big Four Agenda.
By Chris Mahandara
