TVET Authority Kenya (TVETA) and Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) have today formed a technical team to develop a structured model on how the two State organs can work together for the benefit of their respective countries.
The team was formed during a two-and-half virtual meeting that was convened by TVETA Director General Dr Kipkirui Langat and RTB Director General Mr Paul Umukunzi, to among other things, establish a structure on how the two institutions can collaborate on key strategic areas in line with their respective mandates.
The meeting was attended by TVETA’s head of sections including Dr Otta Osawa (Research), Fred Oanda (Accreditation Services), Edward Mburu (Standards Development), Josephine Kasera (Compliance and Enforcement), Bibiana Otieno (Outreach Services), James Momanyi (Corporate Communication), and Sylvia Akoto (Legal Services).
The Rwanda team included Eric Miyongabo (Advisor Ministry of Education), Desire Nimpano (Registrar Rwanda National Polytechnic), and Tony Rutayisire (RTB).
Apart from developing an MoU on the potential areas of cooperation, the technical team will also develop a short to medium and long-term operational plans to guide course of action for the collaboration and also organise study tours between the two countries to benchmark best practices in TVET.
The MoU will also formulate an exchange programme for the trainers and trainees from both countries, especially visiting the Centres of Excellence as well craft a programme for workplace internship and industrial exposures.
Additionally, the team will create a system for the exchange of expertise in areas Standards, Curricula development and ICT, with focus on establishment of Smart Classrooms, digitization of training content.
TVETA DG Dr Kipkirui Langat applauded RTB for the tremendous work it has done to upscale the TVET sector in the country and promised to work together to enrich and align TVET training in the two countries to international standards.
“I have been Rwanda and visited a number of your TVET institutions and I can say you have done impressive work. We need to now work together and raise the standards further,” Dr Langat said.
The Rwandese counterpart Paul Umukunzi observed that they have been impressed by the great strides and measures the Kenyan government has undertaken to reform the TVET sector and align training with the industry and labour market needs. And that is why RTB and the education ministry initiated this meeting so as to benchmark and learn from the best practices.
“We want to learn from each other and if possible have an harmonised training system for the benefit our respective citizens,” Umukunzi said.
According to Ministry of Education 2020 data presented by RTB at the meeting, Rwanda has 366 TVET schools, 8 Integrated Polytechnic Regional Colleges, 9 private polytechnics and 5 special academies offering sprecialised skills. There are 85,587 TVET trainees enrolled in these institutions and 4,834 trainers.
In comparison, there are 12 National Polytechnics in Kenya, 1,049 Technical and Vocational Colleges and 946 Vocational and Technical Centres offering training from approved examination bodies. The current total enrolment in Kenyan TVET institutions is approximately 450,000 trainees.
