TVET graduates giving degree holders a run at the job market

After sitting her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination in 2016, Caroline Adhiambo was admitted to a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution in Mombasa, rejecting a teaching offer from a college in Nyeri.
“My family was surprised when I opted to join Kenya Coast National Polytechnic (KCNP) for a three-year diploma course in Building Technology,” the 23-year-old says.
Adhiambo, who scored 308 marks in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and a C in KCSE at St Cecilia Nangina Girls High School in Busia County, was one of two female students in the building technology class at the national Polytechnic.

“I have always had a passion for building, drawing, and design. I wanted to be an engineer and build my house,” Adhiambo tells Higher Education when we catch up with her at a construction site she is supervising in Ganjoni, Mombasa County.
She boasts of earning more than many white-collar workers. Supervisors, popularly known as foremen, make between Sh1,000 and Sh3,000 per day.

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While in high school at St Cecilia Nangina Girls High School, her first university course of choice was actuarial science.
“I did not qualify for actuarial science. Though building and technology is a tough course, I completed it. Male students looked down on us but our lecturers urged us on,” she says.
Her dream is to start a construction company and hire fellow women.

 During her attachment, Adhiambo learned to be “tough as nails” in the male-dominated profession, mastering skills like laying bricks, plastering, and mixing concrete.
“The men know I’m an expert in construction. When they do shoddy work, they have to start over,” she says, adding that age remains a challenge as elderly workers feel uncomfortable being supervised by someone young enough to be their daughter or granddaughter.
After completing her course at KCNP, Adhiambo worked as a supervisor for a construction company in Busia for two years before being referred to her current employer by a former lecturer. Her employer, a contractor who also studied engineering at the National Polytechnic, praises TVET graduates as better workers than those from universities and other institutions.
Adhiambo’s journey exemplifies the government’s push to enhance practical training in TVET institutions.
With drastic changes underway, these institutions will soon make 70 per cent of students’ coursework practical, limiting theory to 30 per cent. This shift aligns with the government’s aim to provide students with adequate practical skills and knowledge through a Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum that emphasises industry linkages and a dual training approach.

 So, what does this new-look TVET entail?

Read: Is Kenya’s TVET sector on the right path? Government official says it is, and explains why
 Higher Education spoke to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu who said the government is keen to have a strong TVET curriculum that provides students with adequate practical skills and knowledge.
“The Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum seeks to mainstream industry linkages and practical skills to students through the dual training approach, which stresses industry linkages and practical skills,” the minister said.
The government’s commitment to strengthening TVETs, evident in increased funding and emphasis on industry linkages, bodes well for students like Adhiambo.

 Machogu emphasised that to lay a strong foundation, the government reinstated the TVET Curriculum Development, Assessment, and Certification Council (TVET CDACC) in 2023, in line with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act of 2013. The primary mandate of the council is to oversee curriculum design, assessment, and certification.
“This seeks to safeguard the TVET curriculum, infuse it with practical and relevant skills, and create necessary industry linkages,” Mr Machogu said.
 He added that the Kenya School of TVET would play a significant role in retooling tutors to deliver Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET), with a strong focus on practical skills.
“This seeks to safeguard the TVET curriculum, infuse it with practical and relevant skills, and create necessary industry linkages,” Mr Machogu said. He added that the Kenya School of TVET would play a significant role in retooling tutors to deliver Competence-Based Education and Training, with a strong focus on practical skills.
The Education Minister expressed optimism that the Kenya School of TVET would develop robust tutor education programs to produce graduates with usable and market-ready skills. He said the government is committed to supporting the growth and development of TVET, urging tutors to begin offering practical skills to equip students for the job market.
 The government has allocated Sh28.3 billion to TVET to revolutionise the sector, which is now 100 years old.
 “The Ministry of Education has developed the National TVET Blueprint (2020-2030) to give strategic orientation to the sector and foster youth empowerment and employment,” Mr Machogu said.
He added that the government has initiated the recruitment of 2,000 tutors, bringing the total number to 4,000 hired since late 2022. Current enrolment in TVET institutions is 389,962 students against 7,133 trainers.
Former East Africa Community Principal Secretary (PS), Kevit Desai, praised the 70 per cent coursework and 30 per cent theory plans in TVETs, saying it would enhance the quality of graduates from these institutions.

“When practicing with equipment found in the labour market, it gives the student confidence and the ability to perfect his or her skills. That means the student becomes invaluable to the labour market,” Dr Desai told Higher Education in an interview.

 He added that he repairs his vehicles when they break down, along with machinery and other gadgets he works with.
 “I never take my vehicles to mechanics. I also repair everything in my house, which saves the family a lot of money,” said Dr Desai who holds a PhD in Robotics Systems Engineering from Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of North London.
 “I enjoy everything I do. The best thing about TVET is that one is happy to be using his or her mind and hands. That’s TVET’s special quality,” he added.
 According to Dr Desai, Germany has remained an industrial powerhouse for many years because of TVET.
 “I studied robotics in my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate programs. It should be known that I am a professional trainer. I studied industrial automation (mechatronics),” he explained.
The former PS has worked with many organisations and companies, including Festo, Danfoss, Schineei, and Mitsubishi. He now trains students in mechatronics.
 “We must not make the mistake of mixing university education with TVET. These two are very different, but complement one another in the job market,” Dr Desai said.
 “The job market requires measurable standard skills. The standards that are required by the labour market include productivity, innovation, efficiency, and diversification.”
 Dr Desai underscored the broad-based nature of education, highlighting its liberal essence and the imperative of research.

Read: Revolutionalising TVET is for future good
 “That is why they are complementary. Jobs hinge on skills, which are anchored in measurable standards. Productivity necessitates innovation and efficiency,” he added.
 According to Dr Desai, TVET and university graduates possess distinct skill sets. He noted that TVET graduates are skilled and dedicated to specific purposes within the labour market.
 “Reskilling is crucial due to technological changes and evolving labour market demands,” he explained.
 “While university graduates have their place, particularly in industrial development, a substantial number of TVET graduates are essential for commerce to flourish.”
 The former PS suggested that for every university student, a country requires 15 TVET graduates to ensure the efficient functioning of key institutions.
 Before his tenure as PS in the Ministry of Education, State Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Dr Desai served as the managing director of Centurion Systems Kenya Ltd, specialising in industrial automation and control systems.
 With a PhD in Robotics Systems Engineering from Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of North London, Dr Desai highlighted the unique aspect of receiving his TVET training after obtaining his degrees.

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 “I needed to meet industry requirements, which were specifically technology-focused,” he explained.
 He encouraged adults to guide their children in applying for technical courses aligned with their interests and capabilities.
 “If someone is technically inclined and skilled with their hands, a TVET institution could be the ideal choice,” he suggested.
 “However, if a child aims for a broader education and can afford five years of university, they should pursue their dreams.”
 Dr Desai acknowledged that certain disciplines like medicine necessitate a university education.
Meanwhile, the government plans to equip at least 70 TVET institutions with state-of-the-art equipment through a partnership with China. This collaboration aims to ensure students acquire practical skills to thrive in the evolving labour market.
Education CS, Mr Machogu told Higher Education that the ministry’s change agenda aligns with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party of Education Reforms.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua led the ministry in launching the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy, overseeing the graduation of the first cohort of 900 students.

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“The RPL programme enables individuals with informally acquired skills and competencies to undergo assessment and certification,” Mr Machogu explained, urging Kenyans to leverage RPL to have their skills and competencies recognized, thereby enhancing their job prospects and expertise.
The CS affirmed that graduates of RPL would be acknowledged as experts in their respective fields.
Additionally, German government’s commitment of Sh20 billion in 2022 following President William Ruto’s visit to the country, aims to support various sectors in Kenya, including agriculture, TVET, youth, climate, and energy.
German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, speaking afterwards, highlighted ongoing negotiations on a development program between the two countries, emphasising the potential for Kenya to export skilled labour to Germany and other European nations. He emphasised the pivotal role of young people, TVET, and employment in bilateral development cooperation.

 “We are collaborating with companies like Severin Sea Lodge to establish a robust vocational training system not only for Kenya but also for Germany and Europe,” the ambassador stated.
Mr Groth disclosed intense discussions in Germany regarding immigration laws to facilitate skilled labour migration from Kenya, given the country’s abundance of educated and ambitious individuals.
He added that the German government, along with multinational corporations, is partnering to provide technical education training to Kenyans.

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