The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVET) has promised to take its services to the grassroots level through the establishment of regional offices across the country.
This is after the first office was officially opened in Mombasa County to bring services closer to its clients.
Speaking during the official opening of the TVETA, Coast Regional Office in Mombasa, Deputy Director Technical Education Nelson Gitau, while acting as the chief guest in the ceremony representing the Principal Secretary State Department of Vocational and Technical Training Dr. Margaret Mwakima, said that the offices would not only bring services closer to the people, but also ensure provision of quality training in the country.
“You will no longer need to travel to Nairobi to seek our services since we have brought you an office here in Mombasa. This will save you both time and money and reduce the risks involved in traveling,” said Gitau.
He added that two more offices were expected to be commissioned in Eldoret and Kisumu in the very near future.
Gitau was optimistic that the new office would map out all TVET institutions in the region and weed out the illegal ones to ensure that all graduates are competent and contribute towards the growth of the economy.
However, he urged the TVET providers and the general public to make use of the new office for consultation on all issues relating to accreditation and quality assurance.
“The public must now be aware that certificates obtained from unregistered institutions will not help either the student or the parents,” he added.
Gitau hailed the county government for its vast contribution in the Vocational Training Colleges in terms of staffing, infrastructure development, equipment and capacity building.
Despite the challenges experienced due to Covid-19 pandemic, TVET authority has continued to play its critical role in coordinating and regulating TVET training in the country.
According to TVET Board Chairperson Prof. Florence Indede, there are over 200 new public TVET institutions established in the country in the last 10 years.
Prof. Indede said the authority has undergone tremendous growth since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
“Credit to the government in its endeavour to transform the TVET sector and to increase access to the youth,” said Prof. Indede.
She reiterated that the offices would bring greater efficiency in TVET accreditation and more surveillance for quality assurance.
Indede noted that there were more registered private TVET institutions than public ones.
“The development that is rarely mentioned is that in tandem with the public institutions, the private sector has applied and obtained accreditation from TVETA to operate hundreds of institutions,” she said.
By Chari Suche and Riziki Tokal
