Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said that the government will boost investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Speaking on Monday, Mudavadi said this is because TVETs in the country have recorded a 51.8 per cent increase in enrolment.
Mudavadi said the increased enrolment has been facilitated by initiatives that the Government has been putting in place, including heavy investment in TVET infrastructure to stimulate economic growth and equity.
He was speaking at the Kabete National Polytechnic when he presided over the TVET at 100 national celebrations opening ceremony.
He said enrolment of trainees increased from 250,733 to 380,638, during the financial year 2020/2021 to the financial year 2023/2024 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period.
The enrolment of differently-abled trainees rose from 3,301 to 4,487 during this period, Mudavadi said.
“The Government has upgraded and equipped TVET institutions with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery to ensure Kenyans trained in TVET skills are globally competitive," Mudavadi said.
"It has mainstreamed TVET for differently-abled trainees through four dedicated TVET colleges, initiatives that have enhanced the demand for TVET training,” he said.
To support the rising enrolment, the Government scaled up the recruitment of additional trainers. In the 2022/2023 financial year alone, 1,300 trainers were hired.
Recruitment of another 2,000 trainers interviewed during the 2023/2024 financial year is at an advanced stage.
The Prime CS went on to say that scholarship programmes focused on the trainee have ensured equity and inclusivity by providing grants to needy students.
He said over Sh1.95 billion has been disbursed this year to 52,542 trainees while Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) disbursed Sh6.5 billion in loans to 166,924 trainees.
“This hybrid model aligned to the funding needs of individual trainees is designed to enhance retention and completion, ensuring that no one is left behind.”
He said TVET’s growth has become a game changer for the country and is a key driver of social and economic transformation at national and local levels.
“We are now in the fourth or 4.0 Industrial Revolution, characterized by rapid technological progress, demographic transformation and climate change that are shaping a new world,” he noted.
According to Mudavadi, the fundamental challenge now is to position TVET training to adapt to the emerging global environment and demand for skills in new areas of growth such as artificial intelligence and advanced robotics.
He lauded the evolution of TVET into a key enabler of economic development.
Through TVET partnership with the private sector, Mudavadi said the Ministry of Education has ensured that training programs are responsive to the needs of the labour market and our society.
