Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga is calling for the expansion of Tetu Technical and Vocational Educational Training Centre to help the institution realize its goal of inculcating critical technical skills to young people.
The lawmaker, who had paid a visit to the centre yesterday, said the college lacked ample learning space to accommodate the large number of learners.
The legislator noted that, despite the growing number of learners seeking admission at the institution, there was hardly enough space to spare forcing some to take their lessons in tents and along corridors.
The institution, he said, initially admitted only 100 learners but the number has now jumped to 1,600 thus straining the institutions’ ability to accommodate them.
Nevertheless, he thanked President Dr William Ruto’s recent promise to assist in the construction of six new classrooms at the institution to help address the problem of learning space, saying it will go a long way in tackling the challenge.
“It’s imperative that we provide a safe and conducive space for our youth to thrive,” he stated.
‘This is a vital step in ensuring our students receive the education they deserve,’ posted Wamatinga on his official facebook page.
Reached for comment on the matter, Mount Kenya West Regional Director for Technical and Vocational Educational Training Centre (TVETs), Charles Nyota, said he was aware of the challenge which he attributed from the new directive requiring such institutions to implement the new modular program which shortens the time spent by learners in class to three months.
Nyota said that while the number of learners was expected to soar, the flip side was that a bigger number will be graduating after every three months to undertake industrial attachment.
He said to achieve the Government directive in training at least 2 million young people in a year in technical and vocational courses, such a center was expected to admit a minimum of 6,000 learners every year.
“The reason we are experiencing a surge in the number of learners is because we are implementing the modular system whose objectives is to reduce the time taken by learners in class in order to allow them move out into the job market. We are glad when we see more learners joining our TVET centers since this ensures we have more competent personnel to offer technical skills whenever called upon,” Nyota said.
Nyeri County has 49 Youth polytechnics and three public TVET institutions.
They include one national polytechnic, Nyeri National Polytechnic and two technical institutes, Mathenge and Mukurwe-ini.
The new curriculum came into effect after the government completed the development of modules for 188 out of 250 courses, marking a significant step in the rollout of the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) system.
The new approach, which is part of a nationwide reform, hopes to equip learners with competencies that align directly with the needs of the existing job market.
The modular breaks training into smaller, skill-specific units, allowing learners to build up job-relevant competencies gradually.
It has been restructured to reduce theoretical content and emphasise hands-on training besides introducing a micro-credential framework that allows students to be certified at various stages of their training, helping them to enter the workforce earlier and more confidently.
The push for CBET follows a September 2023 directive by the government instructing all TVET institutions to adopt the learner-centred system, which promotes flexibility and real-world applicability over rigid academic timelines.
Meanwhile Wamatinga has continued to implement his Nutritional Program to Boost Schoolchildren’s Health.
The program dubbed Uji Wa Afya (healthy porridge) hopes to boost nutrition levels and learning for schoolchildren in the county.
The Senator stated that the program, which is in its third year, is set to expand throughout the county next term.
The first schools to participate in the initiative include Chania, Kirimara, Mairwe, Nyamachaki, Githwariga, King’ong’o, Ngangarithi, Thunguma, and Chorong’i primary schools,according to a post by Wamatinga.
Wamatinga began the school porridge initiative in October 18 2022 where he urged elected leaders from the county to pull together in providing relief food to school-going children living in drought-hit areas to ensure they do not miss out on learning.
By Samuel Maina
