Rise in TVET enrollment as more students shun universities
TVET courses uptake on the rise over the past years as more learners prefer technical training compared to courses offered in universities
TVET courses uptake on the rise over the past years as more learners prefer technical training compared to courses offered in universities.
As more students avoid attending universities, the number of students enrolling in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs has risen significantly in recent years.
Education experts claim that in contrast to university courses, more students increasingly prefer technical training.
According to a publication by The Standard, several TVET institutions across Western Kenya show the desire of many students to acquire hands-on skills.
One TVET college that has seen its student body double in only two years is Friends College Kaimosi.
Michael Musuya, the college’s principal, claims that from 2,000 students in 2020 to well over 5,000 students today.
“Politicians and chiefs have been of help, they have encouraged our high school leavers and other eligible candidates to take up technical courses that are not only affordable but also marketable than most managerial courses offered in universities,” he said.
The college administration now wants the government to increase the capitation per student and release Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) funds on time to needy learners.
“Many of our trainers have unsettled salaries which curtail the smooth running of activities of the institution, ” said Musuya who added their target was to increase enrollment to over 9,000 to attain the status of a national polytechnic.
Technical and vocational schools in Vihiga including Sabatia and Ebukanga have seen an upsurge in enrollment.
This year, Sabatia has 3,100 students enrolled, up from 1870 in 2021, while Ebukanga has 2,010 trainees, up from 1000 two years ago.
The Vihiga county government’s capitation program provides learners with complete payment of their tuition costs.
Every year, the institutions get a total of Sh15, 000 capitation per learner, which causes a spike in enrollment—from 2,700 students in 2020 to 7,000 in 2023—across all of the vocational training centers in Vihiga County.
The government plans to have each ward in the country host a TVET institution.
The plan will be done under collaboration between counties and national governments and will deepen access to TVET training.
According to TVET Vihiga county director John Sunguti, the county has 15 Vocational Training Centres on top of four Technical Vocational Colleges (TVC) based at the sub-county level.
“We expect one more college at Luanda constituency as we set to achieve the national requirement of having each area with a TVET institution,” said Sunguti.
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The county has employed 193 trainers in vocational training centres.
The TVET national director Tom Mulati said plans were underway to cluster TVET institutions in order to have a National Polytechnic in each county, Technical Vocational College in each sub-county, and a Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in every ward.
“It is our dream that each will be developed to be a centre of excellence in one or two trade areas with a focus on skills required in regions where the institute is located,” said Mulati during the graduation ceremony.
Ministry of Education reports show that most TVET institutions have been supported with value addition equipment to incorporate training with production.
Mulati acknowledged the challenges that some institutions go through but said the government had made great strides in stabilizing the sector.
He noted in order to increase access to Kenyan youths, the government had increased the number of TVET institutions from 52 in 2013 to 238 currently.
He said a majority of the institutions towards making graduates get skills that can lead to self-employment and meeting the challenges arising from rapid technological advancement, education policy, and labour market changes.
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