VTC

Improving Vocational Training in Kenya: Strategies for Quality and Access

Vocational training plays a vital role in providing practical skills and knowledge to individuals in Kenya, enabling them to pursue successful careers in various fields. If you are a vocational training policy maker, principal, manager or trainer, there are several strategies you can implement to improve the quality and accessibility of vocational training. The following are some of the areas you can focus on to improve quality and access.

Vocational Training Centres

Addressing the Challenges Facing Vocational Training Centers in Kenyan Counties

The National Council of Churches of Kenya initiated the Vocational Training Centres originally known as Village polytechnics, in 1968. In 1971 the Government introduced the concept of supporting Vocational Training Centres set up by local communities and churches. This was a strategy to ensure that school leavers had access to technical, entrepreneurial, and business skills which would lead them into income-generating activities and improve the standards of communities in which they live, and stem rural-urban migration.
Since the promulgation of the new Kenyan Constitution 2010, TVET Training was decentralized and some TVET training functions devolved to the counties. The national government remained running these TVET training Institutions; Technical Universities, National Polytechnics, Technical Institutes, and Institutes of Technology all under the Directorate of TVET in the Ministry of Education.
The counties were charged with managing Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) or Village polytechnics and home craft centres as indicated in Schedule 4 of the constitution of Kenya.

Bomet County VTC proposed VTC policy objectives and directions

It should be the policy of County Government of Bomet to promote relevant programmes and courses in VTCs. To realize this, the County Government of Bomet, in partnership with Examination Bodies, National Government, private sector and professional bodies, should ensure that all courses in VTCs are market driven and address the needs of the workplace as well as promote self-employment.

Situational analysis of Bomet County VTCs

The VTC sector in Bomet is characterized by lack of a stable coordinated institutional framework. The VTCs lack a clear policy and regulatory framework that guide planning, administration and management roles of different stakeholders.

As a result, there has been very limited financial investment, management, support and presence of the government in VTCs as compared to other sectors of education and training like ECDE, Roads and Water Infrastructure. This has been compounded by lack of clear policy that is manifested in the frequent changes of the VTCs parent ministries before devolution.

TVET and VTCs

Status of vocational training centres VTCs in Counties of Kenya

Since the promulgation of the new Kenyan Constitution 2010, TVET including VTCs Training was decentralized and some TVET training functions devolved to the counties. The national government remained with running this TVET training Institutions; Technical Universities, National Polytechnics, Technical Institutes and Institutes of Technology all under the Directorate of TVET in the Ministry of Education…