The TVET sector in Kenya is growing readily and the government focuses on supporting the vision 2030. The industry aims to bridge the skills gap needed to make Kenya an industrialized country by offering a skilled workforce.
To achieve this the sector requires trainers and tutors who will equip learners with the skills needed in the industry. They will impact the skills in middle-level management in the areas of artisan, craft, diploma, and higher diploma.
The trainers will be based in the National Polytechnic, Technical Training institutions, and Vocational Training Centers managed by the county government among other institutes that offer TVET courses.
In this article, we cover what is required to be a TVET trainer, how to register, duties, salary scale, and jobs available.
Table of Contents
Qualification requirement for TVET trainer
The TVET sector requires a broad skill set since it aims to meet the needs of all industries in the market. This means that trainers are required from all professionals in the world.
To qualify to train in the sector, first, you are required to have completed a course in an area of specialization such as electrical engineering, food technology, or computer science among other many fields. You should have done a higher level than the level you intend to train.
To train a diploma student you require a degree and above, while to train craft level you require at least a diploma, and for artisan a craft certificate. In addition to the professional course, you should have pedagogical skills trained from any reputable institution. The main institutions that train pedagogical skills for TVET trainers are KSTVET and accredited universities.
TVET trainer registration requirements
After the academic qualification and pedagogical skills, a trainer should be registered by TVETA which is mandated to register both the trainers and institutions in the TVET industries.
The registration requirements include a minimum of a craft certificate in the area of specialization, good conduct, a pedagogy training certificate, a certificate of good conduct, and Kshs. 1,000.
How to register as a trainer TVETA portal?
Trainer registration is done online in the TVET portal following this application procedure. You first need to create an account on the TVET MIS portal by registering your details. To apply ensure you have your academic documents scanned into pdf format and you have the Kshs. 1,000 in your Mpesa for payment.
The registration is renewed after every 3 years which requires Kshs. 500 and proof of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
TVET trainer jobs and employment
The main employer of the TVET trainer is the government either through the PSC, county government in VTCs, BOG in TTI and TVC, or councils of national polytechnics.
The government aims to increase the student population in the TVET sector by establishing one national polytechnic in each county and a TTI in each constituency. Hence, more trainers will be recruited by PSC to train in those institutions.
If you are not lucky enough to be employed by PSC as a permanent employee you can be recruited by the institute management body. Other employers are universities that have accredited TVET schools, private colleges, and youth polytechnics by the county government.
TVET trainer salary
The trainer salary scale differs depending on who is the employee. Starting with those employed by the PSC, their scale is determined by the Salary Remuneration Commission (SRC)
Trainers recruited with a diploma certificate start at job group J (CSG 11) with a basic pay of around 34,000, while for degree job group K (CSG 10) a basic pay of 41,000.
For those employed by the National Polytechnics Council, BOG in TTI and TVC, and private colleges the salary varies from institution but they can range from Kshs 15,000 to above 40,000.
Duties and responsibilities of a TVET trainer
A trainer in any of the learning institutions is required to train the students in their respective areas of specialization among other duties as stipulated below.
- Instruct trainees in the specific course(s)/units per the respective curriculum and occupational standards.
- Plan, conduct, and assess practicals in the course units assigned.
- Develop schemes of work, lesson plans, and training notes.
- Prepare internal exams, and continuous assessments, conduct validation, and mark the exams.
- Supervise, mentor, and assess trainee(s) in the course area.
- Supervise and assess trainees on industrial attachment.
- Maintaining appropriate records and making them available as required by the institute or any other relevant body.
- Attendance to all class contact hours as assigned.
- Examination supervision and invigilation, both internal and external.
- Any other duty may be assigned from time to time.