TVETs to Offering Exams, Award Certificates
Kenya’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions will no longer be affiliated with the national examination boards.
The move aims to enhance the position of TVET in providing skills by enabling the institutes to collaborate with industry players to develop curricula and administer practical tests that match the skills needed.
TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria revealed that national polytechnics would be accredited to train, assess, and award certificates, and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) will award the Qualification Awarding Institution (QAI) certification, which is equivalent to a university charter.
This means that certificates will be awarded to people who have gone through practical training and assessment, and graduates will have adequate practical skills.
Dr Muoria made the announcement at Meru National Polytechnic, the first technical institute in the country to be accredited by the KNQA to develop curricula, offer tests, and award certificates.
The process of accreditation was rigorous, according to KNQA Acting CEO Alice Kande, and the qualification is globally competitive, meaning that those who graduate can get jobs anywhere in the world.
TVET institutions have been criticized for the disconnect between the courses offered and market demands, with industry players complaining that the technical tests offered by the Kenya National Examinations Council are too academic and lack practical skills.
The new arrangement is expected to solve the problem by allowing TVET institutions to work with industry players to develop curricula that match the skills needed.
Meru National Polytechnic has developed Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) programmes to address concerns over the mismatch between training and industry needs. CBET is an internationally recognized method that delivers technical education focusing on specific industry needs.
Trainees have an advantage because industry players are involved. Meru National Polytechnic has developed syllabuses for several courses, including Gypsum Installation Artisan Level 4, Water Treatment and Recycling Technology Level 6, Concrete Reinforcement Technology Level 4, and Balustrade Technology Artisan Level 4.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms reports that the rise in TVET enrollment has not been matched with an increased budgetary allocation.
The report adds that TVET institutions have not attracted and retained highly skilled manpower due to a lack of competitive remuneration packages, and there is minimal capacity building for trainers.
While resources in TVET are not adequate, there is limited collaboration between the private sector and the institutions. Mr. Patrick Mwangi, a director at Best Kenya College in Meru, says employers demand well-trained personnel, and academics should occupy 30% of learning while practical and in-job training takes 70%.
TVETs to Offering Exams, Award Certificates
