The term TVET has become common in Kenya in recent years. Have you ever wondered what this TVET is? and where it has been all along and why you hear it now almost everywhere. Relax and continue reading since we will answer your questions in this article.
What is TVET?
Let start by answering what is the meaning of TVET. In full TVET represents Technical Vocational Education Training.
The Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) sector aims to impart practical skills to learners so that they can compete in the skilled job market. The TVET education sector is managed by the Ministry of Education under the State Department for Technical Vocational Education and Training.
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Overview of the TVET department in the Ministry of Education
In Kenya, the Ministry of Education has 3 departments, Basic Education, TVET and Higher Education and Research. In the TVET department, we have several SAGA that coordinate different activities within the sector.
One of the SAGA is TVETA which deals with quality assurance, registration of both training institutions and trainers and checking on curriculums that are being implemented.
Another is TVET CDACC which is mandated to deal with curriculum development and assessment in the sector. KNEC and other examination bodies like NITA also offer assessments for different qualifications.
The KNQA is another SAGA in the sector that deals with qualification within the education sector as a whole.
To ensure trainers in these institutions are well equipped for training, the KSTVET is mandated to offer teacher training for courses offered within the TVET sector. However, some other universities like Moi and Dedan Kimathi also offer education technical courses that equip trainers with the required skills.
History of the TVET Education sector
So, how old is the TVET sector in Kenya and when did we have a formal TVET institution established? Before we answer this question we need to acknowledge that impacting of skill for various trades is as old as humans existed. Craftsmen used to pass the skills to their children by involving them in their daily activities.
However, in Kenya, the formal institute that is recognized as the first TVET institution in the country is the current Kabete National Polytechnic.
In 2024 TVET sector celebrated 100 years of existence which was launched at Nyeri National Polytechnic and climaxed at Kabete National Polytechnic in July 2024. The celebration was themed “If education is key, then TVET is the master key”. The celebration acted as a sensitization to the public on the TVET sector and what it offers.
During the colonial period and in the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway line there was a need for skilled people to maintain and construct the railway. This need necessitated the establishment of a government institution in 1924 called the Native Industrial Training Depot (NITD) currently the Kabete National Polytechnic.
The establishment of the Native Industrial Training Depot (NITD) trained semi-skilled manpower for various industrial and vocational jobs, and maintenance of Kenya – Uganda Railways. Since 1924, there has been major achievement within the sector which has resulted in a trainee population of over 547,806 who are enrolled in over 1,452 public and private TVET institutions.
Objectives of the TVET sector in the Kenyan economy
The general objective of the sector is to produce a highly skilled human resource who can fit within the industry to ensure the government achieve Vision 2030 and other SDG goals. However, to be more specific these are some other objectives that the sector intends to achieve:
- To increase employable and skilled citizens for the current industrial needs.
- To train on the new emerging technologies to enable trainees to fit in and use the latest technologies.
- Increase the number of self-employed individuals by utilizing their skills.
- To create an opportunity for those who are not able to join universities to gain skills.
- Linking industry with training institutions to ensure relevant industry skills are trained.
- To support the government initiative of 100% transition from basic education to tertiary education.
- To meet the skill needs of the community by offering courses specific to the location of the institutes.
Growth of the TVET sector
Since the establishment of the Native Industrial Training Depot (NITD), currently the Kabete National Polytechnic in 1924, the sector has grown significantly. The growth can be divided into physical infrastructure, number of training institutions, trainee enrollment, human resources and policies and regulations within the sector.
The sector has been shadowed by university education where those who enrol in TVET institutions were seen as inferior to university students. However, with the awareness, the public is learning the benefits of skill-based learning.
This has also been given more emphasis by the government changing the basic education to CBET curriculum which will see a seamless transition from basic education to TVET institutions.
Number of TVET institutions in Kenya
In terms of the number of institutions the sector currently in 2024 boost of having 29 National Polytechnics, over 238 TTI and TVC and over 1160 VTC which are county governments. On top of that, we also have private TVET institutions where TTI and TVC are over 800 and VTC over 88.
Infrastructure growth within the sector
The government has continued to provide resources to ensure the growth of infrastructure in the sector by providing funding. The government through the ministry has also collaborated with different partners to provide tools, equipment, and training in different institutions.
Some of the funding and collaboration for infrastructure according to the TVET Sub Sector Report for FY 2025-26 to FY 2027-28 include:
- Equipping TVET Institutions under the GoK/Africa Development Bank Initiative.
- Equipping TVET institutions under the GoK/ China Project.
- East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP)
- GoK/ German Development Bank (KfW)
- Jitume Programs
The government has also provided equipment for agriculture value addition, automotive, civil engineering, beauty and therapy among others to specific institutions to develop them as centres of excellence in those areas.
Trainers in TVET
According to the Report of the President Working Party on Education Reform 2023, there are 6,205 trainers under the PSC. This leaves a shortage to the requirement of over 9,121 trainers. The number is derived from the ratio requirement of 1 trainer against 25 for STEM and 30 for business-related courses.
However, the government has been trying to close the gap and increase the number of trainers. In 2024 the government through PSC employed 1500 trainers in different areas of specialization which increased the number to about 7,397. To cater for the trainer shortage institution employee BOG or council staff who complement the PSC.
Trainees population growth
According to the PSC TVET department during the celebration of 100 years, the sector has an enrolment of 406,649 by 2024. The sector aims to ensure all students from basic education who don’t secure a slot in university are enrolled for skill-based learning.
Using the 2023 KSCE results which had a candidature of over 899,000 and only around 153,000 secure a university admission, which means over 700,000 students need to enrol in the TVET sector.
With only around 144,000 placed to the TVET institutions by KUCCPS that means the sector has a big room for growth to factor in the deficiency of over 500,000 students not accounted for.
TVET sector policies and regulations
Since the government decided to uplift the sector it has implemented several regulations that govern the sector. The main among them is the TVET Act of 2013 which established TVETA for quality assurance, TVETCDACC for assessment, National Polytechnics and other TVET institutions.
There is also a bill that has not yet been ratified, the TVET Bill 2024 that what to amend the 2013 and also establish the TVET Service Council to manage trainers, KSTVET among others.
These SAGAs have developed policies to implement their functions. For TVET standards and policies they have such as National Poly, Centre of Excellence, ODel, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) among others.
The TVETCDACC deals with curriculum development and assessment and some of CDACC services are accreditation, assessment, curriculum development and certification.
Challenges and solutions in the TVET education sector
Funding for development
The government has been funding and is continuing to fund TVET education but still, the resources are not enough. For the last few years before the new funding model for higher education institutions received minimal capitation from the government.
The new funding model is making it even harder for the institution to learn since the funds are delayed and when they are allocated it is not enough. However, now the TVET trainees are given HELB loan to subsidise what is provided by parents for their upkeep.
To resolve this challenge the Ministry through the department is encouraging the institutions to start Income Generating Activities (IGAs) to generate income internally.
The IGAs can align with the courses the institute is offering. Some of the IGAs that most institutions have adopted include part-time courses, agriculture and value addition, repair of automotive and other machines, registering as an enterprise to offer services, and offering conference facilities among others as per their capacity.
Infrastructure expansion rate
Low funding means fewer resources to expand infrastructure. The sector has expanded rapidly and with a high population which is overstretching the resources. Most of the TTIs and TVCs don’t have enough classes, workshops, and other tools to offfer the courses.
However, the government has continued to fund the best way possible and each year the budget for the TVET sector has increased as per the TVET Sub Sector Report for FY 2025-26 to FY 2027-28.
Trainee-trainee ratio
Currently, the ratio is at 1:55 against the recommended 1:25 for STEM and 1:30 for business courses. This puts it at double shortage the requirement which reduces the quality of training that learners are getting.
To resolve the issue the government through PSC should continue to budget and recruit new trainers every year to reduce the ratio for quality training to occur.
High fees for enrolling in Technical courses
With the new funding model came the review of tuition fees required in the TVET institution from 56,420 to the current 67,189 per academic year. This has become a deterrent to those who want to join the courses having in mind most of them were in a day school where fee was subsidiased.
Again the fee covers only tuition, which means the learner needs cash for upkeep and examination among other additional costs.
This reduces the enrolment in the sector and course completion later also goes down.
To resolve the issue, the trainee can be encouraged to source for scholarships or sponsorships from NGAAF and religious sponsorship, among others. However, this is not sustainable and the government need to come up with a lasting solution to increase enrolment.
Perception of TVET education
The public still perceives that those who pursue TVET courses are inferior. However, the government has continued to sensitize the public on the need for skilled courses and their benefits.
The ministry through the TVET department during the 100 years of TVET celebration they did an initiative of TVET torch that travelled in all the counties and TVET institutions. This was used to enlighten the public and change their perception of the sector.
Since perception is not something that can be resolved in a day all stakeholders in the sector should continually keep on sensitizing the public on the need for TVET courses.
What is the future of the TVET sector in Kenya?
What is the future of TVET in Kenya and behold?
The need for skilled labour is increasing and more skilled workers are required. The TVET education sector should take it as a challenge and improve in all areas. The stakeholder should ensure all those students from basic education who don’t join universities are enrolled in a TVET institution.
To be able to move to the future with tenacity the sector should be able to aim at improving and focusing on the following areas.
- Capitalize on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality among others in the training.
- Embrace Online Distance eLearning (ODeL) to ensure trainers can get the skills outside the four walls of a classroom. This will reduce the need for more physical classes.
- Collaborate with industries to ensure trainees have the relevant and up-to-date skills for the industry.
- Learn and collaborate with other countries on the best practise in the sector to ensure growth.
- The government should ensure the expansion of internet connectivity to all TVET institutions since some are in remote areas.
- Institutions to facilitate ICT integration in curriculum implementation.
- The government can use TVET institutions as enterprises to implement some of it projects like construction.
- Develop progressive policies and regulations to ensure the sector is well-regulated for the quality delivery of practical skills.