At least 300 Technical and Vocational Educational Institutions tutors are set to receive training in software development.
The partnership between the Ministry of Education and Google will see the development of an Android Developer Skills master plan for use in TVETs.
Education CS George Magoha oversaw the launch of the initiative at the Kenya Technical Training College on Monday.
Magoha said this partnership will enable the growth of the sector and also create opportunities for the youth.
“Collaborations between governments and tech companies can drive digital transformation by growing the tech talent pipeline,” Magoha said.
The initiative will take six months and bring intermediate-level skills in the development of Android applications to 10,000 students in 50 institutions.
Magoha added that communities across Kenya grow the developer ecosystem and drive creativity and entrepreneurship.
"Opening up a pathway for developer training through the TVET establishment has the potential to accelerate this growth, create new jobs and drive even greater innovation," he said.
Government Affairs and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa- Google Director Charles Murito, said the collaboration has the potential to elevate Kenya’s position as a leading tech start-up and innovation destination in Africa.
“We have trained 15k developers, helped hundreds of thousands affordably access the internet, trained them in other digital skills and invested in Kenyan startups,” Murito said.
KTTC will serve as the Software Developer Hub with each participating TVET creating student developer clubs.
Kenya has 116 TVET institutions in the Ministry of Education, 130 institutions in other line ministries.
This also includes over 800 vocational training centres managed by County Governments and over 700 private institutions countrywide.
In 2021, TVETs admitted 137,072 students, compared to 134,690 who enrolled in University.
There are 60,000 professional developers in Kenya, representing 9 per cent of the total in Africa.
This, as the government plans to employ 3,000 trainers this year to meet the high demand for tutors in TVET.
The government rolled out reforms in the TVET sector to see a shift from supply-based to demand-based training.
