Members of Parliament on Wednesday, July 26, raised concerns about the quality of education in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
During a meeting with the representatives from the State Department for TVET and the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education observed that many TVET graduates in the country do not meet industry demands.
Esther Muoria, the Principal Secretary of TVET, blamed the crisis on understaffing as well as budgetary constraints in the institutions.
She explained that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) prioritises the deployment of teachers to primary and secondary schools, which affected TVET institutions.
Muoria informed the Committee that TSC was unable to keep up with the number of TVET colleges which have increased from 55 in 2013 to the current 220 with 36 under construction and 52 set for construction by 2027.
She acknowledged the challenge coupled with the budgetary constraints affected the quality of education leading to half-baked graduates in the market.
The Committee, chaired by Bumula MP Jack Wanami Wamboka, also questioned the measures implemented by the PSC to support TVET institutions.
Responding to this, Anthony Muchiri, the PSC Chairperson, confirmed that legal and policy frameworks were already effected to address the challenges.
The Committee, however, directed the commission to compile a detailed analysis on employment trends since 2010.
Further, the TVET representatives were put to task to provide a comprehensive action plan to guarantee the attainment of quality standards within the institutions.
The latest data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), indicated that the number of Kenyans without jobs increased to 2.97 million in the quarter to December 2022, up from 2.89 million in September 2022.
