The County Government of Nakuru is strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions towards supporting the ongoing transition to the new Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET).
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, ICT, and e-government Ms Zipporah Wambui said the focus on TVETs was aimed at addressing youth unemployment by equipping learners with relevant and market-driven skills adding that the emphasis on technical education marked a shift towards competency-based learning, reinforcing its role in national development under Vision 2030.
The CECM said TVETs were essential in ensuring that graduates acquire the practical skills needed in the country’s evolving job market.
Ms Wamboi spoke when she held a meeting with principals of Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) from across the county. The engagement focused on enhancing the quality of service delivery in vocational training institutions.
While appreciating the critical role VTCs play in youth empowerment and socio-economic development in the County, Ms Wambui challenged the principals to prioritize the marketing of their institutions in order to boost visibility, increase student enrollment, and ultimately improve overall performance of the institutions.
She underscored the importance of professionalism and teamwork, noting that both were fundamental in raising the standards of vocational education and ensuring sustained quality services.
Ms Wambui said the County government was working with the national government and other stakeholders in strengthening technical and vocational education to enhance the county’s capacity to offer practical training, which she added would use the power of technical vocational education and training (TVET) to push the potential of young people to positively contribute to the country’s economic growth.
She explained that the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) was designed to accelerate economic growth by investing in critical pillars that create employment for millions of skilled youths.
The CECM said that as the national government implements policies, programmes and projects which create jobs for the youth, there must be a simultaneous equipping of the young people with the education, training and skills necessary to enhance their productivity in a dynamic, globalized and competitive labour market.
She voiced Governor Kihika’s commitment to working out public-private partnerships to boost investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, a move she said was aimed at increasing enrolment in TVETS and polytechnics.
“The national and County governments have invested heavily in TVET infrastructure to stimulate economic growth and equity in the country”, she elaborated.
The CECM further said that both the national and county Governments had upgraded and equipped TVET institutions and polytechnics with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery to ensure Kenyans’ training in TVET skills was globally competitive and emphasized the growing need for students to pursue technical education in light of the rising number of high school graduates.
While noting that the country was facing a shortage of skilled technicians, Ms Wamboi urged students to explore technical fields that are critical to shaping Kenya’s healthcare and economic future.
Chief Officer for Education Ms Rosemary Kimani said the County administration was focusing on strengthening the ties between vocational training and industry needs as a way of addressing the critical issue of youth employability in the county.
She indicated that the County Government was also championing for a dual Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) program, which is an educational approach that combines theoretical classroom instruction with practical workplace training.
The Chief Officer said the devolved unit’s administration was committed to its vision of creating sustainable opportunities for the youth, ensuring they are empowered to build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
Ms Kimani said they were keen to merge skills with certificates so that those with skills are given recognition and those with papers are equipped with the necessary skills to drive the economy forward.
Acting Director of Vocational Training, Ms Catherine Mugo indicated that proper TVET-Industry linkages were essential in meeting one of the biggest challenges of TVETS including delivering employable graduates to meet the growing industry demand. She emphasized that the difficulty primarily arises from the lack of practice-oriented training and inadequate industry engagement.
Nakuru county has 24 youth polytechnics spread across the 11 sub counties. According to the Technical Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), there are two accredited public TVET institutions in the county- the Dairy Training Institute in Naivasha and the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology in Njoro, and a total of 18 accredited private TVET institutions.
The National Government rolled out new technical and vocational courses as it began to implement the Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) policy framework aimed at delivering industry responsive skills.
By Esther Mwangi
