The State Department for Technical, Vocational Education, and Training Principal Secretary, Esther Thaara Muoria, has said that the government is capitalising on TVET-at-100 to bring out its key plans and priorities in the TVET sector.
Speaking at the Kabete National Polytechnic during the TVET-at-100 meeting held to sensitise development partners, industry partners, and education stakeholders on why the government is set to celebrate TVET-at-100, the PS noted that the Government is set to use the TVET centenary celebrations scheduled for July 31 at the Kabete National Polytechnic to clearly point out its key plans and priorities in the TVET sector.
The PS underscored that the government is banking on the TVET sector in order to spur industrialization in Kenya.
Dr. Muoria noted that despite the milestones that the TVET sector has achieved over the last 100 years, there still exist inadequacies to enable the sector to realise its full potential.
She pointed out the challenges of low awareness of TVET programmes, low perception, low financing, and low involvement of the private sector as well as development partners in the TVET sector.
PS Muoria said that the government is set to use TVET centenary celebrations in order to reposition TVET so that it can fully achieve its mandate.
Currently, TVET-at-100 celebrations are going on across the 47 counties by making sure that the TVET torch that was lit by President Dr. William Ruto on March 26 at the Nyeri National Polytechnic, touches all the counties in Kenya.
The TVET torch roadshow in the 47 counties across the country is aimed at demystifying the narrative that TVET is for failures, spreading a message of hope to the youth and parents, as well as promoting employability.
“The celebrations aim to promote employability, mobility, decent work, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning among the youth and adults,” echoed the TVET PS.
The TVET-at-100 celebrations are themed, “If education is the key to employability, TVET is the master key.”
In 1924, colonial masters saw a need for semi-skilled labour, and as a result, they started the Native Industrial Training Depot, currently called the Kabete National Polytechnic, so that they could get semi-skilled labour for the maintenance of Kenya-Uganda Railways.
Since 1924, the TVET sector has grown tremendously and witnessed key breakthroughs ranging from recruitment of TVET trainers, equipping of TVET institutions, adoption of Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), retooling of TVET trainers, digitization of TVET institutions through Virtual Digital Infrastructure (VDIs/Jitume Labs), the launch of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), reinstatement of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Certification Council (TVET-CDACC), infrastructure development, among many other areas.
By Justus Anzaya
