NITA National Assessment for TVET Candidates Kicks Off
The Ministry of Labor, Skill Development, and Social Protection CS Florence Bore has initiated a nationwide National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) assessment for 21,670 candidates in various Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutions.
Trade testing is a skills testing procedure that determines a candidate’s level of competence in his or her occupation or trade area for the purpose of certification and subsequent employment entry.
Bore, speaking at the Cheptarit Vocational Training Centre in Nandi County, stated that the April test series will be administered in 438 testing centres in 47 counties, with candidates being tested in 43 trade testable skill areas for Grades 111, 11, and 1.
The CS stated that the Government trade test is a vital tool for reducing poverty by equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge required to obtain higher-paying jobs.
“Investing in the development of the workforce will foster innovation and creativity, which are key drivers of economic growth and competitiveness,” she remarked.
Bore noted that the ultimate aim of skills development is to improve the employability of individuals, increase productivity, reduce unemployment, poverty and strengthen innovation.
She stated that the origins of skills development and policy formulation in Kenya can be traced to the country’s independence in 1963, and that the government recognizes the need for a skilled workforce to fuel economic growth and development.
In a global knowledge-based economy, the CS noted that skills, knowledge, and entrepreneurship are the primary determinants of an individual’s well-being and economic success.
However, Bore, who was accompanied by NITA Director General Dr. Steve Ogenga, noted that the most significant challenge training providers face today is preparing graduates who are “market ready” to meet industry demand.
“To achieve this, the government aims to improve on skills development efforts and sector linkages for increased employability.“
She further explained that this would be accomplished by ensuring coherence in skills policies across economic, employment, and social development areas, and by adopting a government-wide approach that engaged key stakeholders, emphasizing the principle of strengthening the effectiveness of the skills systemThis will be accomplished by assuring skills policy coherence across the economic, employment, and social development domains, as well as by developing a government-wide approach that engages key stakeholders and is underpinned by the principle of enhancing the effectiveness of the skills system,” she said.
Bore stated that the federal government remains cognizant of the need to cultivate a globally competitive, responsive, and adaptable workforce through skills development programs that adequately meet the industry’s current and future skill requirements.
Dr. Ogenga stated that NITA is committed to ensuring that the Kenyan industry is adequately equipped and supplied with a skilled, quality, and pertinent workforce in order to achieve maximum productivity.
“Our goal is to administer a national trade test that exceeds industry standards,” he said.
By investing in the development of human capital, the country can increase its competitiveness on the global market, resulting in greater economic growth, job creation, and enhanced living standards, according to the director general.
He said that as a country that seeks to develop a strong human resource base, it is necessary to come together and ensure that appropriate skills are imparted through programs such as the trade test, in order to leverage the immense demographic dividend from the youth population.
“As a nation desiring to develop a robust human resource base, we must ensure that we impart the appropriate skills through programs like the trade test in order to capitalize on the enormous demographic dividend from our youth bubble,” he said.
The vice-governor of Nandi, Dr. Yulita Mitei, stated that the county government will collaborate with the national government to ensure that more adolescents enroll in TVET institutions to acquire job-relevant skills.
“In today’s society, technical education is crucial because the majority of those who are contributing to its development have embraced it,” she explained.
Cheptarit is the largest of the 15 NITA training centres in Nandi County, with 109 candidates for the trade test series.
NITA National Assessment for TVET Candidates Kicks Off
