TVET Authority Ag. CEO Timothy Nyongesa and staff today held a consultative meeting with a team from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to discuss the rollout of the Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training Program (KBEST). KBEST is a landmark partnership between CICan and 24 TVET institutions in Kenya’s coastal and lake regions aimed at building trainer capacity and introducing courses in key priority areas of the blue economy. The program will involve three National Polytechnics, two specialized institutions serving as regional blue economy hubs, four Technical Training Institutes (TTIs), and fifteen Vocational Training Centres (VTCs).
Through this collaboration, the institutions are expected to develop or enhance existing curricula and launch at least fifty Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) courses from Level 3 to Level 6 beginning in January 2026. Some of the courses include Food and Beverage Operations, Tour Guide Operations, Aquaculture, Accommodation Operations, Plumbing, Baking, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning. The program targets to enroll more than 5,000 trainees in its first phase.
During the meeting, discussions centered on curriculum development, capacity building for trainers and instructors on CBE, the technical skills required to deliver the courses, and the use of new equipment that the project will provide to institutions. The team also agreed on how TVETA will fast-track inspections and accreditation of institutions to ensure readiness ahead of the January rollout.
The CICan team included Pauline Anyona, Joel Oloo, Linet Tanui, and Suleiman Yarrow, while TVETA was represented by Alfred Mwanzia and Japeth Ngeno (Accreditation), Emmanuel Korir (Finance), Samuel Kipkemoi (Strategy & Planning), Andrew Too (DG Office), and James Momanyi (Corporate Communication).
