Kenya’s economic growth is partly hindered by a shortage of adequately skilled workforce. This has prompted the government to shift focus to Technical, Vocational Education and Training to build a competent and sustainable human resources capital.
The government has started reforming the TVET sector to close the gaping skills gap. It is developing the human resource bank required to drive the economic growth through Competency-Based Education Training approach.
Curricula changes
The TVET reforms started with the establishment of a Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council in 2014. It started operations in January this year with the aim of improving quality and relevance of training programmes in TVET institutions.
Lack of standard curriculum and assessment bodies, which has led to institutions issuing internal certificate without quality of training, has been identified as the major problem in the TVET sector.
CDACC has taken over assessment and certification roles previously undertaken by the Kenya National Examination Council and institutions’ examination boards.
The council has also been tasked with curricula development and regulatory roles to foster competency and competency-based education and training approaches.
The regulatory agency has been mandated with working with stakeholders across ministries and departments offering training and to regulate training that fall below degree level.
The CDACC was formed to craft measures for competency assessment in TVET training sector and offer flexible pathways for TVET graduates.
CDACC takes over examinations roles previously undertaken by the Kenya National Examination Council and the institutions’ examination boards. For the very first time, it will develop a common curriculum for TVET centres.
Through the council, the state is developing a syllabus that outlines competency-based TVET programmes that address the needs of the industry.
CDACC is tasked with designing and developing curricula for the training institutions’ examination, assessment and competence certification.
The council CEO Lawrence Guantana M’uitonga said TVETs will offer education that equips learners with required skills, as opposed to academic qualifications devoid of competency.
M’uitonga said the TVET training will be demand-driven and the graduates can proceed to universities for degrees.
Priority on competence
The CEO said Kenya’s education system is pegged on a certification system. It relies on completion of courses and passing examinations rather than demonstration of competency achieved during training. He said certification in TVETs will be based on demonstration of competence.
“Previously, one was given a certificate after passing exams rather than demonstrating their competencies,” M’uitonga said. He said the council will be testing candidates on right knowledge, skills and attitude.
The CDACC is working with expert workers selected by the Sector Skills Advisory Committee and accredited curriculum developers.
The SSAC has done an occupational analysis to identify duties, tasks, tools, equipment, materials and supplies needed to carry out an occupational analysis that will guide curriculum development. The team is also preparing a training-needs assessment.
M’uitonga said willingness of the industry to participate in competency-based curriculum development will help the government bridge the skills gap.
The industry will be involved in external assessment and verification. The assessment tools will be validated by the SSAC.
“Programmes are not time-bound. If you are able to demonstrate skills, knowledge and attitude required for a given competency. If you are able to demonstrate skills, knowledge and attitude required for given competency, you are assessed and certified,” M’uitonga said.
“It is industry-led training. The tools of assessment will be validated by the industry which will be involved in external assessment and verification of the students.”
M’uitonga oil and gas exploration has brought a demand for new competencies in the region, and the CDACC has developed three training programmes for the Kenya Pipeline Corporation. It has also developed a curriculum for training of private security guards.
Building more TVETS
Uneven distribution of the TVETs around the country has also been identified as a major challenge. The government has built about 70 TVET institutions and 87 more are under construction to meet the increased demand for mid-level manpower training programmes.
Elevation of TVET institutions to university colleges, and eventually fully fledged universities had been cited as a major cause of the problem. TVET Authority senior assistant director Fredrick Mujumba said 18 of the colleges had been converted to universities.
But he said the government is building another 130 technical training institutions. Building and equipping about 70 of them has been concluded and they are expected to admit in January.
The rest are expected to receive the training equipment including modern plant machines by March next year to admit students in July. China is providing training equipment to the TVETs institutions.
Training opportunities in the public TVETs have increased by 40,963 due to increase in the number of institutions but many students despise them.
Mujumba said there are 11 national polytechnics with a 28,001 student capacity. They include Kabete, Kisumu, Eldoret, Meru, Nyeri, Kitale, Kisii national polytechnics.
Others are North Eastern Province Technical Training Institute in Garissa, which was upgraded to a national polytechnic in February; Kenya Coast, Kenya Technical Teachers College and Sigalagala National polytechnics.
The government’s ultimate goal is to establish one national polytechnic in each of the 47 counties, a Technical College in every constituency and a Vocational Training Centre in every ward.
Currently, technical colleges have a student capacity of 36,499, while Vocational Training Centres have an 80,905 student capacity.
These do not include the National Youth Service, which recruits thousands of youths for training in various centres countrywide.
Ministry and parastatal TVETS
Other than the Education ministry, several ministries and departments also have training institutions. The Health ministry runs the Kenya Medical Training College, which has 22 campuses across the country.
KMTC offers numerous courses, including clinical medicine, nursing, midwifery, public health, medical laboratories technology and pharmacology, among others.
The Transport ministry has two training institutions: the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology and the Railways Training Institute. These offer certificate and diploma courses in mechanical, civil, electrical, electronics engineering and roads construction.
The Water ministry has the Kenya Water Institute, which offers certificates, diploma and higher national diploma in water engineering, water resources technology and management, waste laboratory technology and irrigation and drainage engineering.
The Information ministry runs the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, the country’s premier institution for journalism, mass communication and related courses.
Several parastatals also run colleges. Kenya Ports Authority runs Bandari College, which offers Certificates and Diplomas in marine engineering and nautical sciences.
Kenya Power and Lighting Company has a training college in Ruaraka off Thika Road. Kenya Pipeline Corporation and Kenya Revenue Authority have their training colleges, too.
Courses offered in TVETs include studies on energy and petroleum, hospitality management, business, ICT, applied sciences and medical courses at certificate, diplomas and advanced diploma levels.
The authority was mandated to make sure there are internal quality assurance mechanisms, compliance with requirement for a mandatory industrial attachment, availability of conducive learning environment, proper management of examinations.
Other roles of the authority were to ensure approved curriculum, adequacy of tools and equipment for training, professional and academic qualifications of trainers, and availability of resource materials.
To further improve the number of skilled workforce, the government is developing a new curriculum for TVET institutions to spur competency, skills and knowledge based training and assessment procedures.
But the institutions are grappling with limited funding and inadequate equipment and learning materials.
The government plans to have the technical training colleges in every constituency and a vocational training centre in every ward. They include 11 national polytechnics that can collaborate with universities to offer technology based degrees.
The TVET institutions have been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to encourage students to enroll in them and offer training relevant to industry needs.
Mujumba said the government has identified a competence gap that can be addressed through training.
TVET, therefore, is a specialised system of and training education designed to empower trainees through the development of their technical skills, human abilities, cognitive understanding, attitudes and work habits. This prepares them adequately for the world of work or positions them practically for self-employment after graduating.
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Informal sector hires 40% of students but disdain persists
The highly discredited 8:4:4 educational system that the government and educational stakeholders want to overhaul has been blamed for the falling education standards in the country, chiefly for setting up an educational regime that pegs reputation on the academic front.
The regime draws a rigid education path from primary to secondary school and finish with university studies.
The system prescribes eight years for primary and four years for secondary schools, which comprise basic education, then a four-year stint at the university.
Skewed exams
In the system, anyone who cannot pass examinations at one level to qualify for transition to the next is regarded a failure, even though the examiners test literacy levels only with little or no regard to knowledge, skills, competency and attitude.
For instance, a learner gifted in technical courses like mechanical, civil, electrical, building and construction engineering that do not require a wide grasp of humanities subjects misses learning opportunities because their grades did not add up to set required levels. That regardless of weak performance being caused by the “unnecessary” subjects.
The system has been blamed for the negative attitude towards the middle-level institutions, which offer practical skills and opportunities for nurturing talents that can be used for self employment.
The system puts all emphasis on academic education for white-collar jobs, despite the fact that the informal sector employs more than 40 per cent of learners.
Anyone who does not excel in class to attain university education levels is regarded a failure even if they acquire skills in alternative training and get into gainful employment or self-employment.
And that is the reason cited for the distaste of the vocational training centres. Technical colleges and national polytechnics, which offer critical practical skills and an alternative academic route, are viewed as institutions for those less academically endowed.
This is despite the government’s intervention to build more Technical, Vocational Education and Training institutions that offer
practical skills to increase access to quality training.
Job creation
The national policy on education and training puts emphasis on TVET because of its crucial role in poverty eradication, job creation and sustainable development.
The policy has identified the TVET sector as a leading engine that the economy must rely on to produce adequate levels of middle level workforce needed to drive the economic growth envisioned in the 2030 blueprint.
TVET institutions offer opportunity for young people to gain technical skills, and the government has started solving financial hurdles by extending Higher Education Loans Board loans to students in TVET institutions.
The middle level training centres offer opportunity for many young people to gain technical skills, both for self and formal employment.
Whereas one can undertake studies for craftsmanship and trade certificates at a vocational training centre, proceed to a technical training college for a diploma and a degree at national polytechnic or at a university, most students prefer undertaking certificate and diploma courses at universities.
Although for three years, the government has been increasing the number of TVET institutions and equipping them with modern equipment, many youths still avoid them.
Youths shun courses like carpentry and joinery, building and construction, mechanical training, plumping, textiles and dressmaking, welding and metal work, irrigation farming and agribusiness, poultry and livestock keeping, which offer jobs immediately.
Most prefer academic courses that hardly help them get jobs or self-employment.
The middle-level institutions offer
practical skills that are sometimes far much better than universities, but the youths still avoid them.
And some employers prefer hiring graduates of the reputed colleges for certain jobs.
Although most university graduates “tarmac” for years before getting a job if they ever get one, those from TVETs get jobs almost immediately, with some getting employment before completing studies.
They also easily get into self-employment because of the demand of the skills they possess.
Negative attitudes
TVET Authority senior assistant director Fredrick Mujumba said negative attitudes on the national polytechnics, technical training colleges and and vocational training centres makes the youths shun them.
“There is social inclination to universities. Middle-level colleges are perceived to be for the less academically endowed. Therefore, students would want to undertake studies in universities,” Mujumba said.
He said most youths prefer doing diploma and certificate studies in universities to TVET centres, despite the affordability of TVET education compared to university.
They want to follow the traditional system of primary, secondary and university, where they leave with qualifications that won’t get them a job or reliable skills for self-employment.
Case study
Albanus Vilu enrolled for mechanical engineering (Plant Option) course at Kabete Technical Training Institute, now Kabete National Polytechnic, in 2003 and completed in July 2006.
He got his first job in the following month with a pipe manufacturing company in Industrial Area.
“I was introduced to the school by my high school classmate almost three years after leaving school.I joined when he was on his final year,” says Vilu.
He got his first job at pipe manufacturing company in Industrial Area
three weeks after sitting his final examinations and before obtaining the certificates.
Vilu works for Metco Company, an engineering firm that makes cylinders, hospital metallic beds and chairs, the moulds used in bakeries, and other tools.