The world of simulations will soon become a common method of learning for the thousands of trainees in Technical Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVETs) in the country as the government moves to entrench Virtual and Augmented Reality in technical training.The State Department for TVETs in collaboration with the Dedan Kimathi University of
Technology (DeKUT) in Nyeri has already completed the first capacity- building workshop for some 60 TVETs trainers who will be the first cohort to employ Virtual and Augmented reality in their TVET institutions.
Once implemented, TVETs will be able to integrate the interactive and simulation-based learning environments into the Competence Based Education and Training.
Virtual Reality will be employed to create the complex technical environments of machines and equipment similar to those found in the industry, allowing the trainees to solve problems without the real-world risks. On the other hand, Augmented Reality will provide digital instructions on real-world equipment, guiding the trainee on the procedure to be followed to perform a task or solve a problem.
In an interview with KNA, Prof Jean Bosco, the Director of Siemens Mechatronics Certification Centre at DeKUT and a lead trainer during the workshop, the new approach will directly link the education system with the real life work environment allowing the trainees to build, test and troubleshoot systems in fully simulated and virtual environments.
“We are trying to build a virtual system known as an industrial metaverse using technology where we will put all machines found in industry. From the virtual system, a tutor will be able to train on any technology in the industry as long as it is available in the virtual system. This will make it easy for the TVETs, who are the people who work in industry, to access and interact with the system therefore bridging the skills gap,” said Prof Bosco.
Interestingly, trainees and trainers in different locations can access the same virtual environment and collaborate to perform a task. Prof Bosco said that besides gaining hands-on experience, the adoption of Virtual and Augmented Reality will also remedy the lack of physical training equipment by institutions by providing a platform for the trainees to interact with modern infrastructure on a virtual platform.
“The industrial metaverse will address the issue of buying machines because it is taking a lot of our money. For instance, in mechanics or vehicle assembly, the school cannot buy a car and use it for demonstration because it is very expensive. But here we are saying we can create a virtual car using technology where the trainee can safely learn in a controlled virtual environment,” he stated.
The one-month training is sponsored by the African Union’s agency Skills Initiative for Africa and jointly funded by the German Government and the European Union.
According to DeKUT’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Peter Muchiri, the training aimed at building the occupational capacity for TVET institutions to respond to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Prof Muchiri said that the integration of virtual and augmented reality in TVETs will be critical in realigning training with market needs and ensure that the institutions are able to churn market ready workforce.
“Over the past month, we have hosted over 60 trainers from diverse TVET institutions for immersive, hands-on training in industry technologies ranging from smart automation and digital twins to virtual commissioning and mechatronics integration. The digital revolution is here, and it is rapidly redefining how industries operate, how we learn, and how we innovate. It is our collective responsibility as educators, policymakers, regulators, and industry players to ensure that our institutions are not left behind,” stated the VC.
Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba said the program will foster the much needed collaboration between TVET, Industry and Universities and spur the utilization of innovation and research skills in local universities. He also took time to reassure the participants that the government would support their partnership by availing resources for their training and retooling.
“As a government, we are providing a lot of equipment and machines to our institutions for training. We have had an issue relating finances with our universities. However, going forward, instead of sending money outside, we can be channeling to universities so that they can manufacture some of the equipment locally,” stated Ogamba.
By Wangari Mwangi and Brian Mwangi
