TVET providers and stakeholders have today given TVET Authority greenlight to operationalize the implementation of Gazette Notice No. 4983 of 26th May 2017 that mandates the Authority to levy an Annual Quality Assurance fee of Sh500 per a student enrolled in a TVET institution.

The Gazetted fees, which are in line with the TVET Act 2013, have been partially implemented by the Authority on the accreditation of institutions, programmes and trainers, and the equation of certificates.

The Annual Quality Assurance fee of Sh500 per student enrolled which formed part of the gazette fees has not yet been implemented. The National Treasury and Office of the Auditor General has also given the Authority a go-ahead to levy the fee.

TVETA service charter provides that every accredited TVET institution be audited for quality assurance at least once every two (2) years. But inadequate funding has hampered the Authority from carrying out such core functions as specified in section 7 of the Act 2013.

This has led to unlicensed institutions admitting students and offering unapproved training programmes at the expenses of registered and licensed Institutions.

However, today during a consultative meeting on TVET quality assurance fees held at a Nairobi, representatives acknowledged that the Authority is legally bound to collect the fees from institutions as one channel of mobilizing resources intended to strengthen its capacity to quality assure institutions, trainers and programme.

The consultative meeting was attended by TVETA Chairman Board of Directors Prof. Ahmed Ferej (who participated virtually), TVETA DG Dr Kipkirui Langat, Acting Director in the Directorate of Technical Education Tom Mulati and TVETA Board Director in charge of Finance and General Purposes Burua Sanga.

Other attendees were Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions chairperson Gloria Mutunga, representatives of Kenya National Association of Private Colleges (KENAPCO), representatives of TVET institutions in line ministries, representatives from University TVET Centres and the Chief Principal of Kenya Technical Trainers College (KTTC) Edwin Tarno, among others.

TVETA Chairman Board of Directors Prof. Ahmed Ferej told the participants that the Board’s vision is to create a regulator which is responsive to the needs of the TVET sector.

He said the Authority had called for the stakeholders consultative meeting to discuss on how to mobilise resources to ensure there is adequate quality assurance on institutions so that TVET providers can offer quality training and certification.

“We have recruited adequate and qualified staff and created regional offices in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret, which we will open in a few weeks’ time, so that we can take our services closer to the people. With more resources we will increase our presence across the country and intensify quality assurance programmes so that trainees can be offered quality training and certification,” Prof. Ferej said.

The chairman called on the leadership of KATTI and KENAPCO to prevail on its members to comply with TVETA’s Quality Assurance Framework and operate within the law.

TVETA DG Dr. Langat said that in line with strengthening quality provision of training, the Authority has put in place structures to support institutions to set up Internal Assurance Units and also capacity build at least three staff members who will always ensure quality is adhered to all the time. This is in addition to the over 300 monitors and evaluators the Authority has already trained.

TVETA Director of the Board Barua Sanga called on the TVET providers to support the Authority so that it can serve them better.

The Acting Director in the Directorate of Technical Education Mr Mulati said that the sensitization meeting is necessary because the Gazette Notice is law and the stakeholders should be aware of the impending changes so that they can prepare well in advance.

“The ministry values quality assurance and we have already made it a Performance Contract target for all TVET institutions and the establishment of the Internal Quality Assurance Office will be charged with the responsibility to ensure these target is achieved,” he said.

He told the TVET providers that TVETA has a legal mandate on all the issues in the Gazette Notice and called on them to comply.

The representatives of all the organization participation in the meeting including KATTI, KENAPCO, reps of TVET institutions in line ministries and Universities with TVET Centres said that their members will comply and they will support TVETA in collecting the fee.

They however, called on the ministry to issue them with a circular to facilitate the enforcement of the legal Notice.