The government has issued a directive for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to reform how they administer examinations to align with industry needs.
The Principal Secretary for the State Department for TVET, Dr. Esther Muoria, emphasized that involving industry players in certification processes is non-negotiable to ensure graduates meet current market demands.
Speaking at the Taita Taveta National Polytechnic (TTNP) on Monday during the unveiling of the Ksh. 47 million worth of state-of-the-art gemology center, Dr. Muoria criticized outdated assessment models, stating, “We cannot have examinations being carried out the way they were done in the yesteryears without industry certifying that what we are talking about is actually what is being done and what has been trained on those students.”
She called for 50% of all TVET training to take place within the industry and urged institutions to develop curricula in collaboration with stakeholders to bridge the gap between education and employment. “This institution is now a qualification-awarding body which is a huge responsibility. The curricula, training and assessment must all align with industry standards,” she said.
She further noted that her department is also developing a sustainable funding model for TVET institutions hence students should not shun TVETs for lack of funds. Dr. Muoria revealed that a proposed framework has already been presented to the Cabinet and is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
“We have already come up with our suggested funding model. The Cabinet Memo is now with the CS. It will go to cabinet before we go for Christmas so that we have our funding model ready,” she said.
The Ksh.47 million gemology facility was supported by the Young Africa Works and Funding from MasterCard Foundation through Colleges and Institution Canada (CiCAN).
“I’ve just been told that we are already acquiring a requisite market in Canada and there is nothing as good as training and doing industry with an end in mind. This is a step towards ensuring that our miners earn what they truly deserve,” she added.
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She encouraged industries in the Taita Taveta region to support their employees through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program, which allows individuals with informal skills to be assessed and certified, further strengthening the workforce.
On his part, Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime praised the commissioning of the gemology equipment, describing it as transformative for the county’s mining sector.
By Michael Oduor
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