Plans are in high gear to recruit Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainers after the deficit befell the sector, this is according to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu.
In a speech read by the Principal Secretary for TVETs on behalf of the CS, Esther Muhoria, the government announced plans to recruit 1,300 TVET trainers after over 3,000 individuals were promoted.
The PS unveiled the plans during the fourth graduation ceremony of the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic (KCNP) in Mombasa.
“In this regard, the National Treasury has allocated the funds in the 2023/2024 annual budget and vacancies will be advertised. Further, I am pleased to note that the Public Service Commission has promoted 3,269 TVET trainers," Muhoria stated.
According to the CS, the move aims toward addressing critical staff shortages in TVET institutions across the country.
The CS also urged for more collaboration and asked the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions to restructure TVET training to competence-based skilling.
He encouraged TVETs to design demand-driven programmes, benchmark, collaborate and partner with other top institutions - a move expected to birth globally recognised programmes that are relevant to the competitive labour market.
With these partnerships, TVET trainees will get dual certifications when they graduate, thus, giving them an edge over their competitors in the marketplace.
The CS noted that the government is intentional in expanding the TVET sub-sector to create job opportunities and meet the increasing demand for skilled labour.
This comes barely a month after he announced plans to hire 3,000 TVET trainers. This was during a meeting with principals and managers of TVETs on February 15, 2023.
At the time, CS Machogu noted that TVETs were reeling under a shortage of 8,817 trainers.
“The current establishment of trainers in TVET institutions is 6,201 indicating a shortage of 8,817 trainers. This means that we are unable to meet the recommended trainer-to-trainee ratio of 1:30 for business courses and 1:20 for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses,” the CS noted.
