The government is set to recruit 3,000 trainers meant for Technical Vocational and Training (TVETs) rto address shortfalls of trainers for those institutions.
During the Annual General Meeting of the Kenya Association of Technical Institutions (KATTI) held in Mombasa, the Permanent Secretary for TVETs Esther Muoria said that the current administration is willing to assist the TVET institutions to become centres of excellence.
There are currently 238 vocational institutions across the country.
“We are going to employ 3,000 trainers after this was approved by the president,” said Dr Muoria.
Muoria said that she would collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure that schools are strengthened and ensure that they create skilled graduates.
She also called on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Replacement Service (KUCCPS) to place all programs in TVETs.
“Graduates should be practical. I have called the KUCCPS office to have the students placed. I will go to all the offices and have a conversation because there are programmes that were not placed in the curriculum,” said Muoria.
On her part, Gory Mutungi the president of the Kenya Association of Technical Institutions, TVETs are struggling because of a lack of trainers relative to the increased enrolment in the institutions.
She revealed that the current ratio of instructors to pupils is 1 to 100 as opposed to the minimum 1 to 25.
“If you go to (KUCCPS) portal, you will see even A grade students taking up TVET courses and shunning degree programmes because they understand employers need skills and believe in TVETs,” said Mutungi.
Mutungi revealed that around 12,000 TVET trainers are needed to cover the growing number of pupils who have enrolled in TVETs.
The government has also built a regional maritime transport and port logistics institute in Kwale County worth around Kshs. 1.2 billion.
The ultramodern training facility is set to serve as the East African regional centre of excellence.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the regional project was overseen by the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Salim Mvurya.
Among the other officials who attended the ceremony were Principal Secretary (PS) for State Department for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Esther Muhoria, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, Senator Issa Boy, Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza, area County Commissioner (CC) Gideon Oyagi and the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic Chief Principal Anne Mbogo.