Govt to Collaborate With International TVET Institutions for Dual Certification
The government of Kenya is looking to enhance the quality of technical education and vocational training (TVET) by establishing partnerships and collaborations between TVET institutions and industries, as well as other state agencies.
The initiative will provide trainees with a more holistic learning experience, where they will undertake 70% of their training through experiential learning in the industry, and 30% through coursework at the training institutions.
The State Department for TVET Principal Secretary, Dr Esther Muoria, emphasised the need for TVET institutions to develop demand-driven programmes that can bridge identified skill gaps in the dynamic industry. The initiative is designed to expose trainees to a working environment, where they can acquire practical skills and knowledge during industrial linkages and collaborations.
In her speech at the graduation ceremony at Wote Technical Training Institute, Dr Muoria revealed that the government was exploring options for TVET institutions to partner with international TVET institutions to concurrently train, assess, and grant certification to successful trainees.
This would enable them to compete for jobs internationally. She added that the government was looking for governments and institutions to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for dual training and dual certification.
Already, the government has initiated an MOU with the Chinese government, with plans to train students who will then benefit from the initiative by scaling up their skills to work internationally.
To increase the chances of employment and recognition, Dr Muoria encouraged the students to learn a foreign language. This would allow them to integrate easily in any country where they may want to work. The government has also identified that TVET institutions are important channels through which young people can acquire innovative skills for adaptation and innovation that can make them self-employed.
Dr Muoria encouraged young people to venture into the digital hub and secure available opportunities in the job market, where they can acquire the requisite skills and competencies.
During the graduation ceremony at Wote Technical Training Institute, over 1,700 students graduated, with 594 being awarded diplomas, 780 graduating in crafts certificates, and 334 graduating in artisan programmes. In addition, Dr Muoria directed all TVET institutions to start tree nurseries to help the government increase forest cover by planting 5 million trees over the next five years.
She had already presided over two tree-growing nurseries in Nyeri and Eldoret national polytechnics in support of the initiative. The chairperson of the Board, Lwanga Mutiso, discouraged graduates from getting into betting, saying it was addictive and could waste their time. He challenged them to use their knowledge and skills to serve humanity and become self-reliant.
The Principal of Wote Technical Training Institute, Joshua Munywoki, appealed to the government to provide more land to enable the institution to expand to meet the emerging needs of more infrastructure due to the increasing number of students. The training institute has a population of 3,000 students and offers 72 courses.
Govt to Collaborate With International TVET Institutions for Dual Certification
