TVETA DG Dr Kipkirui Langat highlights the reforms in the TVET sector

The TVET Authority Director General Dr. Kipkirui Langat today highlighted some of the reforms the government has undertaken to align the TVET sector with the industry needs and the country’s development plans.

Speaking during a breakfast meeting attended by the former Prime Minister and High Representative for Infrastructure Development at the Africa Union Commission Hon. Raila Odinga, the DG listed some of the reforms that have increased access to TVET training and opened more opportunities for the youth to gain skills needed in the labour market.

Dr Langat noted that the government has made great strides to integrate TVET with the industry and align it with the country’s development plans.

“In the past, TVET institutions and the industry were largely working in silos. But that has now changed. The government has put more resources on infrastructural development and as a sector, we are working with the industry to change the curriculum so that training is more demand-driven,” he said.

He added that the government is in the process of integrating training with entrepreneurship and skills incubation so that TVET graduates can be job creators and not necessarily job seekers.

The meeting was organized to discuss the “Rethinking Skills and Opportunities for Growth” in the country.

Former Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga urged the government to re-look at the current TVET curriculum and reform it to address the skills mismatch in the labour market.

“There are many young people with different certificates but most have qualifications that are not relevant to the demands of the market. The curriculum needs to be relooked so as to make the youth to be either employable or be employers,” Mr. Odinga said.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Administrative Secretaries Hon David Osiany for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development, Hon Rachel Shebesh for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, and Principal Secretary State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy Dr Francis Owino.

Others were German Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Thomas Wimmer, European Union Trade Counsellor Martijn Boelen and Deputy High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-Habitat Josephine Gauld, among others.