Principal Secretary in the State Department for TVET Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria has today said hailed the WorldSkills Competition as a revolutionary event that will inspire the youth to unleash their full potential, as it provides a platform for the trainees to be the best in their skill of choice.
The PS, who was represented by the Director of TVET, Mr. John Tuwei, said that the World Skills competition is a golden standard for measuring excellence in skills acquisition and development.
Speaking during the WorldSkills Kenya National Competition launch at a Nairobi hotel, Dr Muoria said the ministry will continue revitalizing and rebranding TVET, so as to attract more students. This will be effected through retooling and upskilling of trainers so as to enable graduates in TVET institutions to meet the demands of the industry. She hailed TVET Authority for putting Kenya on the international map, by working to have the country gain admission to WorldSkills International family in October 2020 and for preparing the students to participate in the forthcoming national and international competitions.
This year’s edition of the Worlds Skills Competition will also help in selecting a team that will represent Kenya in the WorldSkills International Competition that will take place in Lyon, France next year, where Kenya will also pitch to host the WorldSkills Africa Competition in 2027.
During the function, The Director General of TVET Authority Dr. Kipkirui Langat reiterated the need for a strengthened partnership so as to make the WorldSkills Competition Kenya’s chapter a success.
Dr. Kipkirui said Kenya is being mentored by WorldSkills Germany and England, noting that such partnership will be vital in skills development for the youth.
According to Dr. Kipkirui, the WorldSkills Competition will focus on 18 skill areas with about 150 competitors. The skills areas cut across multi-sectoral enablers of the economy such as manufacturing, water, technology, building construction, hospitality, hairdressing, and others.
In his part, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Patrick Nyangweso challenged the county governments to take the lead in developing partnerships with TVET institutions. This will promote inter-TVET institutions competition that will raise the standards of training across the institutions. He pledged that the KNCCI will provide apprenticeships to some trainees after the competition.
The world skills competition slated for 28th August to September 1st, will be hosted in three venues, with Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET) being the main host. Boma Hotel will host complementary competitions in Culinary Arts and Restaurant services while the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) will provide ground for Computer Aided Designs and CNC Lathe competition. The final venue for complementary competition will be Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology where Industrial 4.0 and Mechatronic competition will take place. All these competitions will run concurrently and will be relayed at the main venue, KSTVET.
Other In-attendance included KUCCPS CEO Dr. Agnes Wahome, KNQA CEO Dr Alice Kande, and NITA Director General Eng. Stephen Ogenga, among others.
