Transformation
The County Government of Nakuru is forging robust linkages between its Technical Vocational Education Training Institutions (TVETS) and manufacturing concerns and service industries as one way of addressing youth underemployment.
According to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, ICT and e-Government Ms Zipporah Wambui, involving industry in the development of technical training curriculum could help to address the shortage of technical skills in the domestic and commercial sectors.
Ms Wambui said allowing technical institutions students to spend a large portion of their time in industry will have them gain hands-on experience. “Governor Susan Kihika’s administration is committed to encouraging our TVETs to make sure that training is strengthened so that what is coming out is what is required in the industry,” Wambui said.
Speaking during the 54th Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa (ATUPA) Conference in Nakuru where she represented the Governor, the CECM explained that the common denominator of industrial economies is that they have invested heavily in education systems that strongly emphasize technical skills.
As such, she added they have been able to match the growing demand for new skill sets in a fast-evolving economic environment with the appropriate training models. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has identified linkages between TVETs, government and private sector as a driver of an advanced industrial manpower base.
The conference was themed “Revolutionizing TVET in Africa: Embracing Innovations for Sustainable Development.
Ms Wambui indicated that the county operates 34 Vocational Training Centres, with seven more awaiting commissioning.
While hailing the State for making policy and curriculum changes aimed at providing young TVET students with competitive skills for self-employment and making vocational training more appealing to youth, in order to address the shortage of required skills in the job market, the CECM stated that trainees need to spend at least 25 per cent of their time in class and 75 per cent gaining hands-on experience in the localized models.
Ms Wambui stated that since 2013 when the Technical Vocational Education and Training Act was enacted, the country has made positive strides in creating the right policy and regulatory environment for technical training. She pointed out that this has seen TVET enrolment levels almost double in the past decade, a clear pointer to the pent-up demand for technical vocational training in Kenya.
The CECM noted that increased funding, enhanced regulations and robust communication campaigns by the government have resulted in TVET enrolment growing by nearly 300 per cent since 2013. This, she added, is attributed to, among others, the reforms in the sector that arose from the implementation of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act of 2013.
Ms Wambui indicated that the establishment of a regulatory body: The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), and the Curriculum Development Assessment and Certification Council to oversee curriculum development, assessment and certification of programmes among other efforts have led to the development of more relevant, market-driven technical courses that aim to equip young people with employable skills.
“Partnerships with the private sector can address the shortage of skill in the industry particularly the gaps in training between what is coming out of schools and what we need in the market,” said the official. She observed that involving the industry leaders early in the formulation of the curriculum enables them to direct what is needed in training in regard to the evolving technologies and equips the youth with market-driven skills.
Further, she said the disconnect between the industry and TVETS has watered down the value of certifications of the graduates from technical institutions owing to skill-gaps when joining the labour market. According to the CECM the collaboration between technical institutions and industry also provides trainees with on-site mentor training.
“Involving the industry would ensure what students learn in class is practiced in the industry on-site. This will offer a practical solution to Kenya’s youth unemployment problem. For Kenya to attain industrial nation status, she requires a workforce with the right skillset for the ever-changing technology and market landscape, and also capable of delivering high levels of productivity and innovation,” she added.
The CECM further called for strengthening collaborative linkages between government and the private sector in driving the TVET agenda in developing specialized short-term practical courses. She noted that the government and private sector can also collaborate in research targeting the changing market environment and consumer trends.
Ms Wambui observed that this builds a valuable knowledge base that the private sector and government can leverage to improve technical training and solve real economic problems. According to the CECM, evidence shows that providing technical skills training alone is not enough to empower young people to find and create jobs.
She emphasized that more can be done to prepare young people to enter and excel in the labour market such as equipping them with wholesome skills, basing policies on available evidence and conducting robust communications activities to change attitudes towards TVET careers.
“TVET programmes should incorporate Whole Youth Development skills such as entrepreneurship, communication, problem solving, relational skills and time management. Much of the current TVET curriculum prioritizes students developing technical skills over soft skills,” said Ms Wambui.
Her concerns come at a time when most tertiary colleges and national polytechnics have been converted to universities where more graduates in academic disciplines than skilled artisans in crucial areas are being trained.
“We have killed polytechnics and other technical schools by converting them into universities… at the same time we have glorified university education at the expense of the rest,” she said. Ms Wambui indicated that there is a need for youths to embrace blue as opposed to white collar jobs through training of artisans because labour is scarce in these fields.
“We are also sensitizing Kenyans to encourage their children to undergo training in these fields. Artisan jobs are not attractive to many because there is a perception they are for primary and secondary school drop outs. This is what we want to change.”
The CECM said there was a ray of hope after enhanced investments in TVET education by the state which was also giving out incentives to promote artisan businesses. She further stated that product innovation was happening at a rapid pace that consumers are getting out of touch with the changes.
This she said has created the need for certified workers to ensure efficient service delivery. She emphasized that an effective Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) system will play a key role in achievement of the big four Government agenda and Vision 2030.
Ms Wambui informed TVET students that The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) was now recognizing certificates issued to informally trained artisans and professionals who pass practical tests conducted by various authorities.
Under the new arrangement, the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examination Board (KASNEB), Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) issues academic certificates based on practical performance as opposed to written examinations.
“This effectively means that a Jua Kali trained tailor, carpenter, mechanic, sculptor or a plumber who has never sat in a formal classroom or Technical Educational and Vocational Training Institutes (TVETS) may be issued with a recognized certificate just as his counterparts who have undergone years of formal training,” explained the CECM.
This is however subject to condition that one must practically demonstrate that he or she possesses the requisite skills before a relevant examination. The CECM argued that the success of Kenya’s growth ambitions is hinged on an adequate supply of a critical mass of technical skills.
She says in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, the majority of those graduating from secondary school prefer technical colleges to universities. “Technical colleges, if well-equipped and managed, are actually the bearing of a nation’s economy… these are the hands that do the actual job, conceptualized by professors, engineers, researchers and university scholars,” she pointed out.
However, she dismissed the idea that the rise in popularity of technical colleges could be interpreted to mean that university degrees and education are becoming useless. Instead, Ms Wambui noted the need for the two to work together to achieve a greater purpose of economic growth.
“Although there is a perception that getting a job after graduating from university is still difficult, university education is still viewed as important but we should not kill polytechnics and other technical schools by converting them into universities… at the same time we need to stop glorifying university education at the expense of the rest,” she said.