Government embarks on mechanisms to empower TVET education

Meru, Sunday June 18, 2023,

KNA by Dickson Mwiti

The government in collaboration with various partners has embarked on different mechanisms to empower technical education in the country.

Speaking at Kiirua Technical Training Institute, which was holding its second graduation ceremony, TVET PS Dr. Esther Muoria said the most recent of such mechanisms is the adoption of the new funding model in TVET institutions, which will ensure equity and access to TVET courses by all learners.

Dr. Muoria said the model will also support financial sustainability in the institutions for enhanced provision of services to key stakeholders, the students.

“The government has embarked on TVET and University funding, all under the ministry of education, through the use of means testing, where we are going to look into the ability of various families so that when we find that a family or a student is extremely vulnerable, then the government is going to fund them at a higher level of 80 percent and for 20 percent they can acquire loans.

To the extremely needy, the government can fund them to 30 percent and they can have 70 percent of HELB loans, whereas the needy, the government will fund them at 58 percent and the rest of the percentages they can acquire loans from HELB,” said Dr. Muoria. 

To those who are able, their parents will be required to pay for their training, added the PS, noting that the department is also partnering with other development partners in the implementation of the dual training system to ensure that the institutions train in, by and for the industry.

“Dual training will equip our students with hands-on industry required skills for the labour market and ultimately expand their employment opportunities both locally and internationally.

“It is projected that our graduates will be better readied for the industries we expect them to operate in and will be more effectively absorbed by the industries after completion of studies,” she said.

In the spirit of globalization, the PS said that the department was in the process of exploring collaborations with different international partners for the employment of graduates.

The PS said the intention of this was to expand the scope of the job market as well as provide a regulated global work exposure to the youths.

“I therefore encourage TVET institutions in the entire country to initiate the training of key foreign languages like German, French and Mandarin to be undertaken by students who wish to work abroad in their various disciplines,” said Dr. Muoria.

The PS added that a robust curriculum career reform has been initiated by the department through implementation of the Competency Based Education and Training (CBET), whose main aim is to re-orient students from theory-based training to higher industry-based training.

The Institute’s Principal Dr. Jackson Mbae noted that the institution has experienced remarkable growth in various facets including infrastructure and the growth in students’ population that has been in a positive trajectory, with the current enrollment standing at 3,500 compared to 1,000 in 2021.

He also appreciated the support the government has accorded the institution in terms of placement of students through KUCCPS and NYS initiatives, student capitation, HELB loans and bursaries, recruitment of trainers and capacity building of staff in various fields.

“I also sincerely appreciate the ministry of education’s effort to enhance competence by giving mandate to National polytechnics to develop their own curriculum, assessment and certification to the graduates of which we are partaker,” said Dr Mbae.

During the ceremony which saw 486 students graduate in various fields, the institution also launched a strategic plan, which will guide them up to 2027.

Courtesy ; K. N. A